Coltan mine collapses after heavy rains, killing more than 200, trapping many
More than 200 people have died in a coltan mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 200 people have died after a coltan mine collapsed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Lumumba Kambere, a spokesman for the rebel-appointed governor of Rubaiba province, where the mine is located. The landslide at the mine was triggered by heavy rains. Some are still trapped in the mine. They have not yet been rescued, Muiza said. He said several people were injured and were taken to three health centers in the town of Rubaiba.
About 15 percent of the world's coltan is produced here. Coltan is a metal in high demand for the manufacture of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines.
Mining suspended
The site, where locals dig for a few dollars a day, has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024.
The rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu has suspended artisanal mining in the area and ordered the construction of shelters near the mine and the relocation of residents.
Lightning strike
The U.N. says the rebel group ‘A23’, backed by the government of neighboring Rwanda, has looted Rubaya’s wealth to fund the rebellion. The heavily armed rebels seized more of the mineral-rich region of eastern Congo in a lightning strike last year, with the stated goal of overthrowing the government in Kinshasa and ensuring the security of Congo’s Tutsi minority.