At least 200 people have died in a collapse at a major coltan mining site in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Congolese authorities, in a disaster that comes only weeks after another mine collapse in the region killed more than 200 people.
The incident occurred Tuesday at the Rubaya mines, which are controlled by the rebel group March 23 Movement, the country’s Ministry of Mines said in a statement.
However, a senior M23 official, Fanny Kaj, disputed the government’s account, saying the incident was caused by “bombings” rather than a landslide and that the death toll was far lower.
“I can confirm that what people are publishing is not true. There was no landslide; there were bombings, and the death toll isn’t what people are saying. It’s simply about five people who died,” Kaj said.
Local miners described a far higher toll. Ibrahim Taluseke, a miner who helped with rescue efforts, said more than 200 bodies had been recovered from the site. “We are afraid, but these are lives that are in danger,” he said, adding that mine operators often resist revealing the exact number of casualties.
The collapse is the second major mining disaster in the region in about a month, highlighting the dangerous conditions in eastern Congo’s informal mining sector.
Rubaya lies in the mineral-rich eastern region of the country, long affected by armed conflict involving government forces and the Rwanda-backed March 23 Movement. The area is a key source of coltan, a mineral used to produce tantalum for smartphones, computers and aircraft engines.
According to the United States Geological Survey, Congo produced around 40% of the world’s coltan in 2023, while the Rubaya mines alone account for more than 15% of global tantalum supply.
