More than 200 people were killed this week when part of a coltan mine collapsed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local officials.
The collapse occurred Wednesday at the Rubaya mine in North Kivu province, a region rich in minerals and currently controlled by the M23 rebel group. The precise death toll remains unclear as recovery efforts continue, with many victims still buried beneath mud and debris.
A spokesperson for the rebel-appointed provincial administration said at least 200 people have been confirmed dead, while several others were injured and taken to medical facilities in Rubaya. Some of the wounded are expected to be transferred to hospitals in the nearby city of Goma, about 30 miles away.
An adviser to the provincial governor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the confirmed death toll had reached at least 227.
The Rubaya mine produces an estimated 15% of the world’s coltan, a mineral processed into tantalum — a heat-resistant metal widely used in mobile phones, computers, aerospace equipment and gas turbines. At the site, local residents typically dig manually for small daily wages, often without protective equipment or formal safety measures.
Officials said heavy rainfall triggered the landslide that caused the collapse. In response, the provincial administration has temporarily suspended artisanal mining operations at the site and ordered the relocation of residents who had constructed makeshift shelters near the mine.
Rubaya has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since last year. United Nations officials have accused the group of exploiting the mine’s mineral wealth to finance its insurgency, allegations that Rwanda — which has been accused of backing M23 — has denied.
The M23 rebels, who say their goal is to overthrow the government in Kinshasa and protect the Congolese Tutsi minority, expanded their control over large portions of mineral-rich eastern Congo during a rapid advance last year.
The disaster highlights longstanding concerns over unsafe mining conditions in the region, where artisanal miners often work in unstable terrain amid ongoing conflict and limited oversight.
