Kikwit, July 9th, 2026 (CPA).- A fire has broken out on Thursday at the large market in Kikwit, in the municipality of Lukolela, Kikwit, in Kwilu province (south-west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo), destroying several shops, stores, buildings and a healthcare facility, CPA has noticed. “The town does not have a vehicle to fight fires. We have requested and obtained, from a company which carries out erosion control work, a machine that has helped us bring the fire under control,” has said Ms Charlotte Lula, acting mayor of Kikwit. “We were taken by surprise this morning by this fire, the cause of which is still unknown, which has just destroyed our shops, stalls and other buildings,” has declared Brigitte Kikudi, a market vendor affected by the fire.
For Arthur Mulumba, a telephone booth owner who was also affected, “the fire has started at 6 am in a shop next to the special traffic police office; by the time we have realised what was happening, a huge blaze had spread, engulfing other shops and houses. We were unable to put it out due to a lack of appropriate resources.” At least 20 houses, shops, pharmacies and a health centre have been affected by this fire. The voices have gone up calling on the government to provide the town of Kikwit with a fire-extinguisher vehicle to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.