Le Phare: After deadly fires surge, interior minister orders inspections of event halls

A deadly fire during a wedding ceremony in Kinshasa has pushed the safety of event halls to the center of public debate, with reports putting the provisional death toll as high as 22 and several others seriously injured.

Le Phare reports that Interior and Security Vice Prime Minister Jacquemain Shabani instructed the General Directorate of Civil Protection and security services to begin systematic checks of safety standards at all public gathering places. Any establishment that fails to meet the requirements will be closed immediately. Kinshasa authorities are expected to submit an implementation report within 15 days.

The national news agency ACP says the central government’s decision applies to provincial governors across the country. They have been instructed to carry out the inspections rigorously and without delay, as part of an effort to prevent further disasters.

The fire broke out at the Panacée event hall at the intersection of Avenue de Libération and Boulevard Triomphal in Lingwala. The government’s official tally cited by 7sur7.cd lists 12 dead, five people hospitalized and 21 stabilized injured people, while investigations continue. Congo Nouveau highlights the uncertainty, noting that reported figures range from 10 to 22 deaths. The figures attributed to Lingwala Mayor Norbert Mushiga Nzindula, Deputy Governor Eddy Iyeli and the government differ sharply.

The newspaper also points to the hall’s layout, including a single narrow exit, as a factor that turned panic and the ensuing crush into a deadly trap. Among those killed was Guy Kitoko Aloma, a cameraman for RTNC. Infos 27 links the tragedy to wider concerns about emergency response systems, firefighting capacity in large cities and compliance with urban planning rules.