Rubaya coltan mine collapse in eastern Congo kills more than 200
More than 200 people died this week after a landslide caused part of the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to collapse, according to Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed provincial governor.
The incident happened on Wednesday, and the exact death toll was still uncertain by Friday evening.
Muyisa said the victims included miners, children and market women.
He added that some people were pulled out in time but suffered serious injuries, with about 20 injured people receiving treatment at health facilities.
An adviser to the governor said at least 227 deaths had been confirmed, speaking anonymously because he was not authorised to brief the media.
Muyisa linked the collapse to the rainy season, saying the ground was unstable and gave way while people were inside the pit.
The Rubaya site produces roughly 15% of global coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal used in products such as mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines.
Locals typically extract the ore by hand for only a few dollars a day.
The mine has been controlled since 2024 by the AFC/M23 rebel group.
The United Nations has said AFC/M23 has exploited Rubaya’s minerals to help finance its insurgency, which it alleges is backed by neighbouring Rwanda, a claim denied by Kigali.
The heavily armed rebels say they want to oust the government in Kinshasa and protect the Congolese Tutsi minority, and they seized additional mineral-rich areas in eastern Congo during a rapid advance last year.
Reuters
