More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in eastern DRC, officials say | Democratic Republic of the Congo
More than 200 people died in this week’s collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesman for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located, told Reuters on Friday.
Rubaya produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal in high demand by manufacturers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. The area, which locals dig by hand for a few dollars a day, has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024.
The collapse occurred on Wednesday, and the exact death toll remained unclear as of Friday evening.
“More than 200 people, including miners, children and market women, were victims of this landslide. Some people were rescued just in time and there are serious injuries,” Muyisa said.
An adviser to the governor said the confirmed death toll was at least 227. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
The UN says M23 plundered Rubaya’s riches to help finance the rebellion backed by the government of neighboring Rwanda, a claim Kigali denies.
Heavily armed rebels, whose stated aim is to overthrow the government in Kinshasa and ensure the security of Congolese Tutsi minority, advanced at lightning speed last year, seizing further mineral-rich areas in eastern Congo.
