More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor said on Friday.
Rubaya produces about 15% of the world's coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal used in mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. The site has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024.
“For now, there are more than 200 dead, some of whom are still in the mud and have not yet been recovered,” said Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, the spokesperson. He added that several others were injured and taken to three health facilities in the town of Rubaya.
The collapse occurred on Wednesday and the precise toll was still unclear as of Friday evening. The rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu has halted artisanal mining at the site and ordered the relocation of residents who had built shelters near the mine. Muyisa said the landslide was caused by heavy rains.
An adviser to the governor said the number of confirmed dead was at least 227, speaking on condition of anonymity. The United Nations says M23 has plundered Rubaya's riches to help fund its insurgency, an allegation Kigali denies.
