A massive fire sparked in a house where a woman fried doughnuts near cans of petrol, has razed more than 150 homes in the eastern DR Congo, killing a seven-year-old girl.
The fire broke out in the city of Bukavu, where locals were celebrating the country’s 4-0 African Cup of Nations victory over Zimbabwe.
Mayor Gerard Munyole of the Kadutu commune struck by the blaze said a child was killed, three people injured, and 150 homes burned down, leaving about 400 families roofless.
Reports confirmed more than 200 homes were destroyed.
A fire truck sent to the scene Sunday could not find its way through the tightly-packed maze of houses built in contravention of urban planning regulations.
Another fire razed dozens of houses in another Bukavu suburb last August.
Constructed on the flanks of hills overlooking Lake Kivu, the city a mix of shacks and villas is densely populated.