More than 200 killed in landslide at DRC coltan mine

Congo’s Mines Ministry said that about 70 children were among the victims, those wounded were evacuated to medical facilities.Published On 4 Mar 2026A landslide triggered by heavy rains has killed more than 200 people at the Rubaya coltan mine in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, authorities said.DRC’s Ministry of Mines said on Wednesday that about 70 children were among the victims, and others who were injured were evacuated to medical facilities in the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Five employees of Canadian mine found dead in Mexico, authorities saylist 2 of 3Brazil does not want ‘a new Cold War’, says President Lulalist 3 of 3Zimbabwe imposes ban on exports of all raw minerals and lithium concentrateend of listFanny Kaj, a senior official in the M23 rebel group, which controls the mines, disputed the government figure and said that the collapse was caused by “bombings” and only five people had been killed.“I can confirm that what people are publishing is not true. There was no landslide; there were bombings, and the death toll isn’t what people are saying. It’s simply about five people who died,” Kaj said.Ibrahim Taluseke, a miner at the site, said that he had helped to recover more than 200 bodies from the area.“We are afraid, but these are lives that are in danger,” Taluseke told The Associated Press news agency. “The owners of the pits do not accept that the exact number of deaths be revealed.”Miners work at the D4 Gakombe coltan mining quarry in Rubaya, DRC, in May 2025 [File: Moses Sawasawa/AP Photo]A senior official from the AFC (Congo River Alliance)/M23 Rwanda-backed rebel group, which has controlled the mine since 2024, told the Reuters news agency that “continued operation had been discouraged” at the site.“Pending the securing of the area and the implementation of protective measures for miners. The incident is due to the heavy rains of the last few days,” the official said.