GOMA, Congo — At least 200 people were killed when a landslide collapsed several mines at a major coltan mining site in eastern Congo earlier this week, authorities said Saturday.
The disaster occurred Wednesday at the Rubaya mines, which are under the control of the M23 rebel group, according to Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu province. Heavy rains were cited as the cause of the collapse.
“For now, there are more than 200 dead, some still trapped in the mud,” Muyisa told The Associated Press. He added that several others were injured and initially treated at three health facilities in Rubaya, with ambulances scheduled to transfer the wounded to Goma, the nearest city about 50 kilometers away.
In response, the rebel-appointed governor has temporarily halted artisanal mining at the site and ordered the relocation of residents living near the mines.
A former miner at Rubaya explained that landslides are frequent because the tunnels are dug by hand, poorly constructed, and left without maintenance. “People dig everywhere, without control or safety measures. In a single pit, there can be as many as 500 miners, and because the tunnels run parallel, one collapse can affect many pits at once,” said Clovis Mafare.
Rubaya lies in the heart of eastern Congo, a mineral-rich region long plagued by violence involving government forces and various armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The resurgence of M23 has worsened an already severe humanitarian crisis in the area.
Congo is a major global supplier of coltan, a metallic ore containing tantalum used in smartphones, computers, and aircraft engines. The country produced roughly 40 percent of the world’s coltan in 2023, with Rubaya accounting for over 15 percent of global tantalum supply, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The M23 group seized Rubaya in May 2024 and now collects taxes on the trade and transport of coltan, reportedly generating at least $800,000 per month, according to a U.N. report.
Eastern Congo has faced decades of conflict, creating one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with over 7 million people displaced, including more than 300,000 since December 2025.
Despite a U.S.-brokered deal between the Congolese and Rwandan governments and ongoing negotiations with rebel groups, fighting continues in several parts of eastern Congo, resulting in numerous civilian and military casualties. The agreement also provides access to critical minerals for the U.S. government and American companies.
Authorities continue rescue and recovery operations at the Rubaya site while assessing the full scope of the disaster and the safety of remaining mines.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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