More than 200 people were killed in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo this week, according to rebel-appointed provincial authorities who said the final toll is still being verified.
Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor in the province where the mine operates, told Reuters the collapse happened on Wednesday.
The site produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, a key source of tantalum used in electronics, aerospace components and gas turbines.
Locals dig manually at Rubaya for a few dollars per day, and the area has been under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024.
Muyisa said miners, children and market women were among the victims, with around 20 injured people receiving treatment in nearby health facilities.
He said heavy rains left the ground fragile and caused it to give way while people were inside the pit.
An adviser to the governor, speaking anonymously because he was not authorised to brief the media, said at least 227 deaths had been confirmed.
The United Nations has accused AFC/M23 of plundering Rubaya’s mineral wealth to fund its insurgency, an allegation Rwanda denies. The rebels expanded their hold on mineral-rich territory in eastern Congo last year during a rapid advance.
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