More than 200 feared dead after mine collapse in Congo

More than 200 people have been reported killed following a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located.

The mine, situated about 60 kilometres northwest of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, collapsed on January 28. As of the evening of January 30, the exact number of casualties remained unclear.

“More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children, and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” Muyisa told Reuters, adding that around 20 injured individuals were receiving treatment in health facilities.

He explained that the incident occurred during the rainy season, when the ground becomes unstable. “The ground is fragile. It was the ground that gave way while the victims were in the hole,” he noted.

Eraston Bahati Musanga, the governor of North Kivu province appointed by the M23 rebel group, confirmed to AFP that bodies had been recovered but did not provide specific figures for those killed or injured, indicating that the death toll could be high.

An adviser to the provincial governor, speaking anonymously due to a lack of authorization to brief the press, also stated that the number of fatalities exceeded 200.

Franck Bolingo, an artisanal miner at Rubaya, said that people were still believed to be trapped inside the mine.

“It rained, then the landslide happened and swept people away. Some were buried alive, and others are still trapped in the shafts,” Bolingo said.

Rubaya is a major producer of coltan, accounting for about 15 percent of global output. Coltan is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal widely used in mobile phones, computers, aerospace equipment, and gas turbines.

Local miners at the site work manually, often earning only a few dollars a day.

The mine has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group since 2024, after previously changing hands several times between the Congolese government and various rebel factions.

The heavily armed M23 group, which aims to overthrow the government in Kinshasa, expanded its control over mineral-rich areas in eastern Congo during a rapid advance last year.

The United Nations has accused the rebels of exploiting Rubaya’s mineral resources to finance their rebellion, an allegation that Rwanda has denied.

Despite the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s vast mineral wealth, more than 70 percent of the population lives on less than $2.15 a day.

By Tamilla Hasanova