Over 200 Killed In Coltan Mine Collapse In Eastern DR Congo: Report

Over 200 people have been killed in a devastating collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As per the reports, the mine collapsed on Wednesday, and the total number of casualties was unclear till Friday.

Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located, confirmed the death toll to the Reuters news agency. He also said that around 20 injured people are under medical care.

“More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children, and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” Muyisa told Reuters.

The mine is located nearly 60km (37 miles) northwest of Goma city, the provincial capital

of North Kivu province.

As per the officials, some bodies have been recovered, and the search operation is underway.

Rubaya contributes approximately 15% of the global coltan supply, which is refined into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal highly sought after by manufacturers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components, and gas turbines.

Local residents manually extract the coltan for a few dollars per day at this site, which has been controlled by the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024.