The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government has said it fears that at least 200 people may have died after a massive landslide struck the Rubaya mine in North Kivu province, in the country’s troubled east.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Communications said it was “deeply dismayed” by the tragedy, adding that early reports suggested the landslide may have left a heavy death toll. The mine is located in an area controlled by the M23 armed group, which has seized large parts of eastern DRC since its resurgence in 2021. The group captured the Rubaya mine in April 2024, with Congo accusing Rwanda of supporting the militia.
Rubaya is one of the world’s key sources of coltan, producing an estimated 15 to 30 percent of global supply. The mineral is widely used in electronics such as mobile phones and laptops. Thousands of artisanal miners work in the pits daily, many using basic tools like shovels and working in dangerous conditions on unstable hillsides.
According to information obtained by AFP, part of a hillside collapsed into the mine on Wednesday afternoon, with a second landslide reported on Thursday morning. The M23-appointed governor of North Kivu, Eraston Bahati Musanga, visited Rubaya on Friday and said there were “at least 200 deaths,” confirming that bodies had already been recovered from the debris, although no official figure has been confirmed.
Authorities and humanitarian sources say it has been difficult to establish the full scale of the disaster. Phone networks have reportedly been down for days, and many Congolese officials and civil society groups left the area when M23 forces arrived. A humanitarian source said information is coming in slowly through motorbike couriers moving across the region.
Injured survivors have been taken to nearby health centres, but aid workers say these facilities have limited resources. The tragedy has also sparked reactions abroad, with Belgium’s embassy in Kinshasa expressing solidarity with victims and their families.
