Death Toll Surpasses 200 After Landslide at DR Congo Coltan Mine
The tragedy occurred on Tuesday at a shaft in the country’s largest coltan mine located in Rubaya, a mining area approximately 70 kilometres west of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province. Witnesses initially reported six deaths after the collapse
By : Mweru Mbugua
The death toll from a devastating landslide at a mining site in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to more than 200, according to government officials
The tragedy occurred on Tuesday at a shaft in the country’s largest coltan mine located in Rubaya, a mining area approximately 70 kilometres west of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province. Witnesses initially reported six deaths after the collapse
However, the Ministry of Mines of the Democratic Republic of the Congo later confirmed that the provisional death toll had dramatically increased
“The provisional toll counts more than 200 compatriots who lost their lives, including 70 children and numerous wounded,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday
The Rubaya mining site lies in a region currently controlled by the M23 Rebel Group, an armed movement widely reported to be backed by Rwanda. Ongoing conflict in the area has complicated rescue efforts and access to the site
Authorities and humanitarian agencies face major challenges verifying casualty numbers due to the mine’s remote location
The region lacks significant health infrastructure, and humanitarian organizations have limited access. Telecommunications services in the area are also frequently disrupted
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Coltan, the mineral extracted at the Rubaya mine, is a critical component used in manufacturing electronic devices such as smartphones and computers, making the region strategically important despite persistent instability
Search and recovery efforts are expected to continue as officials attempt to determine the full scale of the disaster
