Investigation underway into cause of deadly Kinshasa wedding fire

Authorities in DR Congo have launched an investigation into a fire at a wedding party in Kinshasa that left at least 22 people dead.

The blaze at a building in Lingwala started on Friday night and continued into early Saturday.

Narrow hallways reportedly became blocked as people tried to flee.

“We have just inspected the venue here, and it is clear that the [safety] norms are not being respected,” Norbert Nzindula, Mayor of the municipality of Lingwala, told reporters on Saturday.

“Even the emergency exit: as you can see, people had difficulty getting to safety; everyone was in a state of panic. This is regrettable, so we are going to take action, and the authorities will implement measures for other function venues within my jurisdiction and throughout the city and province of Kinshasa.”

Deadly fires are common in some densely populated areas of Kinshasa, where buildings are often erected without provisions such as fire services.

The situation is worse during the dry season and several fires have already taken place this year, according to local media.