22 killed in fire at wedding venue in DR Congo
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Mushinga said authorities are investigating possible factors, including electrical faults and decorations at the venue.
A general view of a wedding reception hall that was damaged by fire in Kinshasa on September 5, 2026. A devastating fire killed several people and injured others overnight in Kinshasa during a wedding celebration held in a building in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to information obtained on Saturday from the Interior Minister and local authorities. (Photos by AFP)
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KINSHASA — At least 22 people were killed and several others injured in a fire that broke out early Saturday at a wedding venue in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a local official said.
The fire erupted in a building housing a reception hall on the premises in Lingwala commune while a wedding ceremony was underway, Norbert Mushinga, head of the commune, told reporters at the scene.
A Congolese police officer secures a wedding hall that was damaged by fire in Kinshasa on September 5, 2026.
"The provisional death toll stands at 22 and could rise," Mushinga said, adding that property inside the building was also destroyed by the blaze.
Several injured people were taken to hospitals across Kinshasa for treatment, he said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Mushinga said authorities are investigating possible factors, including electrical faults and decorations at the venue.