AT LEAST 22 DIE IN WEDDING FIRE IN KINSHASA

KINSHASA, SEPTEMBER 5 /SRNA/ — At least 22 people died in a fire at a wedding in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mayor Norbert Mushinga stated.

Several other people were injured in the fire, which broke out last night and continued into the early hours of the morning in a building in northern Kinshasa.

Lingwale warned that the death toll could rise.

The exact cause of the fire has not been confirmed.

"This is a tragedy," Congo's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani said after visiting the scene.

Deadly fires are common in densely populated areas of Kinshasa, where urban development has not been matched by the establishment of adequate firefighting services.

Fires are particularly common during the dry season, and several have already occurred this year.