Landslide at Rubaya Mine in DR Congo Leaves Over 200 Dead
Heavy rains trigger deadly collapse at key coltan mining site in eastern DR Congo
- Landslide at Rubaya mine kills more than 200 people.
- About 70 children reported among the victims.
- Incident follows another deadly collapse at the same site in January.
More than 200 people have been confirmed dead following a landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the country’s mines ministry.
The disaster occurred on Tuesday after heavy rainfall triggered the collapse at the mining site. Authorities reported that about 70 children were among the victims, while many injured people were transported to medical facilities in Goma for treatment.
Earlier, a senior official from the AFC/M23 rebel group, which has controlled the mine since 2024, had told Reuters that only five or six people had died in the incident.
The Rubaya mine is a major global source of coltan, producing roughly 15% of the world’s supply. Coltan is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal widely used in the manufacture of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components, and gas turbines.
According to another AFC/M23 official, the damaged area was one of several mining sections where operations had previously been discouraged until safety measures and protective structures were put in place. The official attributed the landslide to the heavy rains experienced in recent days.
The Rubaya mining site had recently been included in a shortlist of mineral assets the Congolese government is proposing to cooperate on with the United States under a minerals partnership framework.
The tragedy comes barely a month after another disaster at the same site in late January that also claimed more than 200 lives, raising renewed concerns about safety conditions at the mine.
