BUKAVU, Congo (AP) — A fire swept through two adjacent schools Thursday in the city of Bukavu in eastern Congo, killing at least 26 students and injuring dozens, the provincial government said.
The South Kivu provincial government said in a press release that 19 girls and seven boys were killed, adding that the death toll could rise.
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People walk through smoke after a fire at a school killed several people in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
People walk through smoke after a fire at a school killed several people in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
People stand at the site of school fire that killed several people in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
People walk through smoke after a fire at a school killed several people in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
People walk amid the charred remains of homes near a primary school and a secondary school where a fire broke out, killing several students, in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
The spokesperson for rebel M23 group that controls the city, Lawrence Kanyuka, said earlier that 24 students were killed and 29 people were being treated at local medical facilities.
The fire started at a house before spreading to the two adjoining schools, local neighborhood administrator Moïse Lubala told The Associated Press.
He said several students were trapped inside Furaha secondary school and some suffocated.
A mix of boys and girls of different ages, students at Furaha and at Ujamaa primary school, were brought to the Nyamulagira BDOM health center in their school uniforms, nurse Ciza Jean-Baptiste told the AP.
Medical staff were struggling to keep track of the exact number of injured because there were so many, he said.
“The exit was too narrow, so some students began jumping through windows while others rushed toward the door. As everyone tried to force their way out, students were pushed over and trampled on,” said Lubala.
The cause of the fire is not known, but the neighborhood where the fire started is densely populated and most houses are made out of wood, according to Lubala.
Congo’s government struggles to exert control over the east of the country. M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, took control of Bukavu in February 2025. More than 100 armed groups are vying for control of eastern Congo’s trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that’s critical for much of the world’s technology.
Health services are under severe strain as the region grapples with the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history that has killed more than 3,300 people, with more than 6,800 confirmed cases recorded.
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Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, and Jean-Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo, contributed to this report.
People walk through smoke after a fire at a school killed several people in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
People walk through smoke after a fire at a school killed several people in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
People stand at the site of school fire that killed several people in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
People walk through smoke after a fire at a school killed several people in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
People walk amid the charred remains of homes near a primary school and a secondary school where a fire broke out, killing several students, in Bukavu, Congo, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Janvier Barhahiga)
BERLIN (AP) — Buoyed by partisan home fans, host Germany upset Belgium 93-74 to reach the semifinals of the women’s FIBA World Cup on Thursday.
Leonie Fiebich scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds to lead Germany to a showdown with France on Saturday. Nyara Sabally also had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
“I can't quite believe it yet,” forward Frieda Bühner said. “We're among the best four teams in the world. I can't believe it. It's crazy.”
The players screamed and whooped in celebration. Germany had never reached the semifinals before.
“Everyone stepped up today and we did it from the first second to the very last,” said Alexandra Wilke, who scored 10 points.
Germany lost its opening game by 30 points to Spain, but bounced back with impressive wins over Japan and Mali before routing South Korea in a playoff to reach the quarterfinals.
Egged on by fervent commentary from the announcer, fans cheered, jumped and waved Germany flags at the Berlin Arena to help the home team keep its momentum going.
“It's always really cool to play in front of such a crowd,” Sabally said. “I couldn't have wished for more, especially in Germany. It's really cool to see that there's so much hype and the whole venue is caught up in it. It's really, really cool.”
It’s the sixth straight World Cup at which the host has made the final four since China failed to make the semifinals in 2002.
Belgium, the European champion, was one of three teams that advanced through group play without a loss.
Emma Meesseman led Belgium with 29 points and added eight rebounds, but her team was unable to regain the lead after Bühner made it 20-19 toward the end of the first quarter.
Germany did not qualify for the World Cup since the unified country's only previous appearance as host in 1998. East Germany's women's basketball team finished fourth at the 1967 tournament.
Marine Johannès and Janelle Salaün led France to the semifinals for the first time by beating China 90-61 earlier.
Both Johannès and Salaün scored 15 points while Gabby Williams contributed 14 as the Olympic finalists put themselves in contention for a first World Cup medal since the inaugural tournament in 1953, when France finished third in the final round.
“It means a lot,” Williams said of reaching the semifinals for the first time. “We want to be one of the greatest teams ever to put on the French jersey. Obviously we have a big goal this tournament, but it’s great to check this off the list.”
Chants of “Allez les Bleues” rang around the Berlin Arena before Williams opened the scoring, and the French supporters made sure they were heard for the rest of the game as their team dominated on the court below. France has been fluid and free-scoring, beating its four opponents so far by a combined 156 points.
The team set a tournament record for 3-pointers in a single game by netting 22 in its final group game on Monday. The French players connected on 14 of 37 attempts Thursday, with Johannès and Salaün scoring three triples each.
“We are lucky because we are a group that have known each other for a couple of years now,” Salaün said of France's team spirit. “We went through a lot of things, the Olympics, training camp(s), so we just know each other and we know what we want. We have a goal and we want to do everything to get to this goal.”
Salaün had an ice pack bound to her right knee. France coach Jean Aime Toupane told The Associated Press it was just a precaution.
The French defense limited the impact of China’s 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu, who had the attention of two French players any time she received the ball. The 19-year-old sensation was held scoreless over her 7 minutes, 18 seconds of play in the first half, though she contributed in defense with three blocks before halftime.
There was nothing Zhang could do to stop Johannès from scoring successive 3-pointers in the third quarter, when she also got on the scoreboard. Zhang finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds and seven turnovers.
Han Xu, who had a double-double in each of her four games at the tournament, again led China with 21 points and nine rebounds.
The United States, the four-time defending champion, routed Hungary 108-56 in the first quarterfinal with Napheesa Collier scoring 19 points to stretch their winning run in the tournament to 34 games since a semifinal loss to Russia in the 2006 semifinals.
The U.S. awaits the winner of Spain-Australia in the last quarterfinal later.
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German players react during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between Germany and Belgium in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
German players react during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between Germany and Belgium in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Germany's Frieda Buhner shoots over Belgium's Bethy Mununga during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between Germany and Belgium in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Germany's Leonie Fiebich, left, and Alexandra Wilke react during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between Germany and Belgium in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
China's Yang Shuyu guards France's Romane Berniesp during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
China's Han Xu and France's Gabby Williams wait for freethrows during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
France's Marième Badiane shoots over China's Li Yuan during the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
French players wave to fans after the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
France's Pauline Astier, left, and France's Marine Johannes react after the Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal match between the China and France in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
