Скачать или смотреть The Rubaya Mine Collapse..

More than 200 people have died following a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local officials.

Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located, told Reuters on Friday that the deadly incident occurred earlier this week. Rubaya is a major global source of coltan, producing around 15% of the world’s supply. The mineral is refined into tantalum, which is widely used in mobile phones, computers, aerospace equipment and gas turbines.

The mine, where local workers dig by hand for minimal wages, has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024. The collapse took place on Wednesday, and the exact death toll remained uncertain as rescue efforts continued.

“At least 200 people have died so far, with some victims still trapped in the mud and yet to be recovered,” Muyisa said. He added that several others were injured and taken to three medical facilities in Rubaya, while ambulances were expected to transfer the wounded to Goma, about 50 kilometres away, on Saturday.

The rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu has temporarily suspended artisanal mining at the site and ordered the evacuation of residents who had constructed shelters near the mine. Officials said the landslide was triggered by heavy rainfall.

An adviser to the governor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the confirmed death toll had reached at least 227.

The United Nations has previously accused the M23 group of exploiting Rubaya’s mineral resources to finance its insurgency, allegedly with backing from neighbouring Rwanda — a claim that Kigali has denied.

The heavily armed M23 rebels, who say their objective is to topple the government in Kinshasa and protect the Congolese Tutsi minority, expanded their control over mineral-rich areas in eastern Congo during a rapid offensive last year.

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