Over 200 Killed in Rubaya Coltan Mine Collapse in Eastern DRC
Rubaya : Democratic Republic of Congo More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said on Friday. The disaster occurred at a mine that produces roughly 15 percent of the world’s coltan, a mineral processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal used in mobile phones, computers, aerospace components, and gas turbines.
Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located, told Reuters that the landslide struck on Wednesday. “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,” he said, adding that about 20 injured people were receiving treatment in local health facilities.
The collapse occurred during the rainy season, which officials said contributed to the ground giving way while the victims were in the mine.
An adviser to the governor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the number of confirmed dead was at least 227.
Rubaya mine, where locals dig manually for minimal wages, has been under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024. The United Nations has accused AFC/M23 of exploiting Rubaya’s mineral wealth to fund its insurgency, an allegation denied by the government of neighboring Rwanda.
The heavily armed rebels, whose stated goal is to overthrow the government in Kinshasa and protect the Congolese Tutsi minority, captured additional mineral-rich territory in eastern Congo during a rapid advance last year.
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