At least 200 dead following mine shaft collapse in rebel-held Eastern Congo

At least 200 people have been killed following the collapse of multiple mine shafts at the Rubaya coltan mining complex in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to local authorities and rebel-appointed officials.

The incident occurred last week in North Kivu province after several days of heavy rainfall caused a network of hand-dug tunnels to fail. The Rubaya mining area, located approximately 40 kilometres west of Goma, is one of the most significant sources of coltan in the region and employs thousands of artisanal miners working largely without mechanised equipment.

Officials confirmed that the collapse took place on Wednesday, with additional shaft failures reported over the following day. A spokesperson for the local administration stated that more than 200 bodies had been recovered, while the number of missing miners remains unknown. Reports from the site indicated that women and children were among those present at the time of the collapse.

The Rubaya mines have been under the control of the March 23 Movement since 2024. Mining operations in the area are predominantly informal, with workers extracting ore manually through shallow and interconnected tunnels.

Following the incident, mining activity at the affected site was temporarily suspended. Local authorities also announced the relocation of residents living near the mining area, while injured survivors were treated at nearby health facilities, with some transferred to hospitals in Goma.

Family members of the victims gathered in surrounding communities to mourn, with several households reporting missing relatives whose bodies had not yet been recovered. Recovery operations have been hampered by unstable ground conditions and ongoing rainfall.

The Congolese government has accused armed groups of allowing unsafe mining practices in areas under their control, stating that mining in Rubaya was taking place despite an earlier government ban. Rebel authorities have not commented on the allegations.

According to United Nations estimates cited in previous reports, the Rubaya mines account for approximately 15% of the global tantalum supply. Mine collapses remain a recurring risk in eastern DR Congo, where artisanal mining is widespread in both rebel-held and government-administered areas.