More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in eastern DRC

More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, a spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province, told Reuters on Friday. The collapse occurred on Wednesday.

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. Local people dig at the site manually for a few dollars a day.

The site has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024. Muyisa said the victims included miners, children and market women, and that some people were rescued with serious injuries.

An adviser to the governor, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media, said the number of confirmed dead was at least 227.

The UN says M23 has plundered Rubaya’s riches to help fund its insurgency, and alleges the group is backed by the government of neighbouring Rwanda, an allegation Kigali denies. The rebels have said their aim is to overthrow the government in Kinshasa and ensure the safety of the Congolese Tutsi minority, and they captured more mineral-rich territory in eastern Congo during a lightning advance last year.

The precise toll from the collapse was still unclear as of Friday evening, according to the reports.

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