Mine Collapse in Congo Kills Over 200 in Deadliest Disaster

More than 200 people died when a landslide triggered the collapse of mine shafts at Rubaya in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday. The exact death toll remains unclear, but officials confirmed the figure exceeded 200, with some reports indicating at least 227 confirmed dead. The victims included miners, children, and market women working at or near the site.

Background

Rubaya sits about 60 kilometers northwest of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. The mine has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since April 2024, after changing hands multiple times between government forces and various armed factions. The heavily armed group, which the United Nations says is backed by neighboring Rwanda, has expanded its control over mineral-rich areas in eastern Congo during rapid military advances over the past year.

The mine is no ordinary operation. Rubaya produces roughly 15 percent of the world's coltan, a mineral processed into tantalum—a heat-resistant metal essential for modern electronics. Tantalum appears in mobile phones, computers, aerospace components, and gas turbines. Despite controlling such a valuable resource, local miners work manually for only a few dollars a day, scraping out a living in difficult conditions.

Key Details

What Happened

The collapse occurred during the rainy season, when ground conditions become unstable across the region. Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, the spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu province, explained the circumstances.

We are in the rainy season. The ground is fragile. It was the ground that gave way while the victims were in the hole.

Franck Bolingo, an artisanal miner at Rubaya, described the moment of disaster.

It rained, then the landslide happened and swept people away. Some were buried alive, and others are still trapped in the shafts.

The collapses actually occurred across multiple mine shafts on Wednesday and Thursday. About 20 injured people were receiving treatment in local health facilities as of Friday evening. Rescue efforts faced challenges as some people remained trapped inside the mines.

The Human Cost

The death toll reflected the dangerous reality of artisanal mining in conflict zones. Miners, many of them working without safety equipment or proper training, were underground when the ground gave way. Children and market women—who work at mining sites buying and selling goods—were also killed in the disaster. The exact number of those still missing remained unknown.

What This Means

The Rubaya collapse highlights the dangerous conditions facing workers in Congo's mineral sector, particularly in areas controlled by armed groups. The United Nations has accused the M23 rebels of plundering Rubaya's mineral resources to finance their insurgency, an allegation Rwanda denies. The rebels claim their aim is to overthrow the government in Kinshasa and protect the Congolese Tutsi minority.

The disaster also shows global dependence on Congo's minerals. Tantalum from Rubaya ends up in electronics used worldwide, yet the workers extracting it face poverty wages and life-threatening conditions. More than 70 percent of Congo's population lives on less than $2.15 a day, despite the country's vast mineral wealth.

The collapse raises questions about mining safety in conflict zones, where international oversight is limited and armed groups control operations with little regulation. The rainy season that caused this disaster will continue for months, meaning more unstable ground conditions lie ahead. Unless conditions change, the risk of further disasters remains high.