Kinshasa, March 5. More than 200 people have died in a mine collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday. The DRC government gave this information on Wednesday. The incident occurred at the Rubaya mine in North Kivu province, which is known for its coltan resources, according to a statement issued by the DRC’s mining ministry. The accident was caused by “extremely heavy rain”. According to preliminary data, more than 200 people, including about 70 minors, lost their lives in this accident.
The statement said the Rubaya mining area has been under the control of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group since 2024, making rescue operations particularly difficult. The mining area was earlier classified as a “danger zone” since November, the ministry said. After this classification, mining should have been banned here. David Kasareka, a miner and resident of Rubaya, said, “There was a landslide after heavy rains on a mountain called Kasasa. The landslide swallowed many people.”
M23 has not yet commented on the incident. Earlier in January, at least 200 people were killed when several shafts collapsed at a coltan mining site in Rubaya. Local media reported the death toll could exceed 400, not including those still missing. Coltan, or columbite-tantalite, is the main source of tantalum. It is a rare metal which is used in making modern electronic equipment. The United Nations estimates that Rubaya’s mines alone account for about 15 percent of the global tantalum supplier.
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