United Nations officials say there were dead bodies on the streets of eastern Congo’s largest city where hospitals are overwhelmed and hundreds of thousands are fleeing gunfire and shelling.

Rioters stormed embassies and started fires in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa, drawing tear gas from police, in an eruption of protests over a Rwandan-backed rebel offensive in the east.

Video showed part of the French embassy in Congo’s capital of Kinshasa on fire as protests erupted in anger over M23 rebel advances in the eastern city of Goma. Demonstrators attacked several embassies of countries they accused of complicity in Rwanda’s alleged support of the rebel group.