Rebel-controlled Rubaya mine disaster marks one of deadliest mining tragedies in DRC's conflict-torn east
A catastrophic collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 200 people, according to rebel authorities controlling the area, marking one of the deadliest single mining disasters in the region's recent history.
Lubumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu province, confirmed the death toll to Reuters on Friday. The collapse occurred earlier this week at a site that produces coltan, a mineral essential for manufacturing smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices. An anonymous official separately confirmed at least 227 fatalities, underscoring the scale of a tragedy that has devastated local communities dependent on artisanal mining for survival.
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The Rubaya mine complex sits in territory controlled by the M23 rebel group, which has expanded its influence across significant portions of North Kivu in recent years. The collapse trapped dozens of miners working in precarious conditions deep underground, with rescue efforts complicated by the unstable structure of the artisanal mining tunnels.
Among the dead are women and children, reflecting the reality of mining operations in the region where entire families often participate in extraction work. The informal nature of these operations—characterized by minimal safety infrastructure and rudimentary excavation techniques—creates conditions where catastrophic failures can claim hundreds of lives in moments. Previous incidents at Rubaya and similar sites have resulted in casualties, but typically in far smaller numbers, making this week's disaster exceptional in its lethality.
Members are reading: Analysis of how this disaster may affect global coltan supply chains and rebel financing.
The Rubaya collapse represents a grim intersection of Congo's ongoing conflict, the global demand for minerals, and the desperation that drives thousands into dangerous artisanal mining. As the death toll stands at more than 200, the disaster underscores the lethal consequences of extraction operations in zones where rebel control and minimal regulation create conditions for mass-casualty events. The full accounting of the dead continues.
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