US EditionMore than 200 killed after landslide hits miners extracting key smartphone mineral
Heavy rains triggered unstable ground and collapsed several pits, killing over 200 miners, including women and children, in the M23-controlled Rubaya coltan mine in eastern DRC.
- 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.
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A series of landslides have hit the Rubaya mine in North Kivu province, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, leaving several dead and buried people alive.According to witnesses and local authorities, the landslides occurred between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, after heavy rains that caused the collapse of a hillside over the mining areas.Keep reading...
Over 200 killed in mine collapse in eastern Congo
At least 200 people are said to have been killed in eastern Congo – after a landslide earlier this week caused several mines to collapse. Officials said some people could still be trapped in the debris at the site in Rubaya – which lies in an area controlled by M23 rebels.
In North Kivu, many artisanal miners died as a result of two landslides, which occurred on 28 and 29 January at this mine site controlled by AFC/M23 rebels.
A landslide has buried a mine in eastern Congo, central Africa, killing at least 200 people, including women and children. Miners in the area mine coltan, a key material in the production of smartphones, computers and aircraft engines.
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