A landslide triggered by heavy rains occurred at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, killing more than 200 people, Congo’s mines ministry said.
A senior official from the AFC/M23 rebel group that controls the mine previously told Reuters that only five or six people were killed in the accident.
Rubaya produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal in high demand by manufacturers of cell phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines.
The site, which has been under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024, was recently added to the Congolese government’s shortlist of mining assets to be offered to the United States under the Minerals Cooperation Framework.
“The affected site is one of those where ongoing operations have been suspended pending the securing of the area and implementation of measures to protect miners,” another senior AFC/M23 official said.
The Ministry of Mines said some 70 children were among the victims, and many of the injured were evacuated to medical facilities in the city of Goma.
An M23 spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the government’s toll.
The incident comes a month after another disaster at the site in late January left more than 200 people dead.
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