“In total, there have been 17 deaths. On the spot, we had recorded 11 deaths, but others have died,” he told AFP during the funerals of some of the victims buried in the city on Tuesday.
“Today, we are burying 12 people, because some bodies have already been buried and others are still in the hospital,” he added.
It is still not known who was responsible for the explosions, which rocked Bukavu 11 days after the M23 captured the city in a lightning offensive.
M23 fighters also occupied North Kivu’s main city, Goma, at the end of January, as part of the group’s territorial expansion since it resurfaced in 2021.
Twelve polished wooden coffins could be seen lined up at the provincial hospital in Bukavu.
Small wooden crosses — with the names of the deceased, as well as their dates and places of birth and death written on them — were placed in front of the coffins.
Photos of victims could also be seen by some coffins.
In a clear plastic envelope was a picture of Ushindi Baradosa, a young man, aged 26, with short hair and a close-cropped goatee.
“Rest in peace” was written on the portrait.
Relatives gathered in front of the coffins, many of them crying.
One woman could be seen weeping in a silent lament as she sat on the ground, consoled by two other people.
Further away a young woman could be seen praying, standing up with her eyes closed and palms open to the sky.
The priest gave a blessing before each family took their loved one’s coffin to the cemetery.
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