DR Congo Orders Nationwide Venue Safety Checks After Kinshasa Wedding-Hall Fire

DR Congo’s interior minister, Jacquemain Shabani, ordered provincial governors to inspect event and leisure venues nationwide and immediately close establishments that fail safety standards after a fire at the Panacée reception hall in Kinshasa. The national government reported 12 deaths, seven women and five men, while Lingwala mayor Norbert Mushinga earlier gave a provisional toll of 22. Five people remained hospitalized and 21 stabilized patients were released for follow-up care. Governors must involve civil-protection and security services, while Kinshasa has 15 days to report on implementation; investigators have not established the fire’s cause.