Authorities have said that a landslide triggered by heavy rains has killed more than 200 people at the Rubaya coltan mine in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Democratic Republic of Congo Ministry of Mines said that about 70 children were among the victims and others who were injured were evacuated to medical facilities in the City of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province.
However a senior official in the M23 rebel group, which controls the mines, Fanny Kaj, disputed the government figures and said that the collapse was caused by bombings and only five people had been killed.
“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.
A miner at the site, Ibrahim Taluseke, said that he had helped to recover more than 200 bodies from the area.
“We are afraid, but these are lives that are in danger, the owners of the pits do not accept that the exact number of deaths be revealed.” Taluseke said.
A senior official from the M23 Rwanda-backed rebel group, which has controlled the mine since 2024, told journalists that continued operation had been discouraged at the site.
“Pending the securing of the area and the implementation of protective measures for miners. The incident is due to the heavy rains of the last few days,” the official said.
A similar collapse at the site in late January this year following heavy rainfall killed more than 200 people and at that time, the Democratic Republic of Congo authorities blamed the incident on the rebels and said that they were allowing illegal mining without sufficient safety standards.
Rubaya produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, an essential metal that is processed into tantalum and in high demand by manufacturing industries to make mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines.
The site was also recently added to a shortlist of mining assets that is being offered to the United States by the Congolese government under a minerals cooperation framework.
Additional Reporting by Associated Press.
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