Terrible landslide in Congo's Rubaya coltan mine, more than 200 people died (Photo-X)
Digital Desk, Congo. More than 200 people have died in a massive landslide on Wednesday at the Rubaya coltan mine in the eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This information was given to Reuters by Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, a spokesman for the rebel-appointed governor, on Friday. An adviser to the governor, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the death toll was at least 227.
About 20 injured are undergoing treatment in health centers.
The accident occurred during the rainy season, when weak ground caved in and hundreds of people, including miners, children and women trading in the market, were trapped in the sinkhole. "More than 200 people were injured in the landslide. Some people were evacuated in time, but they are seriously injured. About 20 injured are being treated at health centres," Muyisa said.
The Rubaya region produces about 15% of the world's coltan.
The Rubaya region produces about 15% of the world's coltan, which is processed into tantalum. This heat-resistant metal is widely used in products such as mobile phones, computers, aerospace equipment and gas turbines. Here local people earn a few dollars a day by digging by hand, but due to lack of safety standards such accidents are common.
The mine has been under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024. According to the United Nations, the M23 has financed its insurgency by looting the region's assets with the support of the Rwandan government—a charge Kigali rejects. M23's goal is said to be to overthrow the Kinshasa government and ensure the security of Congo's Tutsi minority.
The incident highlights the ongoing conflict and dangerous conditions of unsafe artisanal mining in eastern Congo, where vital minerals for the global electronics industry are extracted, but workers' lives are at risk.
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