Kinshasa, September 29th, 2025 (CPA). – The geological testing laboratory at the Geological and Mining Research Center in Gombe, a municipality north of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was destroyed by fire on Monday, according to administrative sources.
« The geological research center’s laboratory caught fire. This is a laboratory where geological experiments and research tests are carried out. The fire consumed all the test tubes (small cylindrical glass or plastic containers used in laboratories) containing test mixtures, » said Mugiama Kangafu, commander of the Kinshasa fire department. “The cylinders used in research tests, the machines, and other testing equipment were completely destroyed. There were no fatalities, and no minor or serious injuries. No vehicles near the scene of the fire were affected,” he added. Responding to a question, Mr. Mugiama did not give any details about what caused the fire that led to this incident.
« We do not yet know exactly what caused the fire that led to this blaze. Investigations are ongoing. The most important and urgent task was to extinguish the flames, which were becoming alarming. The firefighters brought the situation under control, » he explained. This fire occurred two (2) weeks after another fire on September 15th in a river port in Gombe, also in the north of the Congolese capital, where fourteen (14) boats caught fire, causing significant material damage. Firefighters were unable to extinguish the fire due to the inaccessibility of the site.
Congolese soldiers deployed to regulate traffic in Kinshasa