US EditionMore than 200 killed after landslide hits miners extracting key smartphone mineral
Heavy rains caused unstable soil and poorly maintained tunnels to collapse at Rubaya, killing over 200 including miners, women, and children, rebel authorities said.
- On January 31, 2026, rebel authorities said more than 200 people died in landslides at the Rubaya coltan mining zone, North Kivu province, with slides on Wednesday and Thursday.
- Heavy rains made slopes unstable and the mine's fragile soil and poor maintenance worsened risks as artisanal miners dug manually near shafts.
- Survivors and witnesses said victims included miners, children and market women, about 20 injured are receiving treatment in Rubaya health facilities, and many bodies remain buried with rescue teams continuing.
- Authorities temporarily halted artisanal mining and ordered resident relocation, while ambulances prepared to transfer the wounded to Goma as search-and-rescue efforts continue.
- The UN reports that since seizing Rubaya, M23 has imposed taxes on coltan trade, generating at least $800,000 a month, amid over 7 million displaced in eastern Congo.
231 Articles
231 Articles
Congo-Kinshasa: Many Killed in Coltan Mine Disaster in East
At least 200 were killed when mines collapsed at a coltan mining site in eastern Congo this week, rebel authorities say. The Rubaya mines, where the disaster occurred, supply a key metal for smartphones and computers.
The government-prohibited site is under the control of armed group M23, which is used to export coltan to its Rwandan ally.
Kinshasa said it feared a "at least 200 dead" score, after a "massive" landslide on Wednesday at the giant mining site in Rubaya.
Hundreds Dead After Mine Collapses in DRC
Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date. Hundreds of people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a mine collapsed. DRC The Governor of North Kivu under the AFC–M23, H.E. Bahati Musanga Erast…
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'At least 200' feared dead in DR Congo landslide: government
The Democratic Republic of Congo's government said on Sunday it feared "at least 200 dead" in a "massive" landslide that struck a militia-held mine in the country's east.
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