More than 200 killed in landslide at DRC coltan mine

"A 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."

"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."

A catastrophic landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulted in over 200 deaths, with approximately 70 children among the victims. The DRC Ministry of Mines confirmed the incident was triggered by heavy rains, and injured survivors were evacuated to medical facilities in Goma. However, M23 rebel group officials, who control the mine, disputed the government figures and claimed only five people died, attributing the collapse to bombings rather than a landslide. A miner at the site reported recovering over 200 bodies. This represents the second major collapse at Rubaya in recent months, with a similar incident in January also killing over 200 people following heavy rainfall.

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