200 Dead in Mine Collapse in DR Congo

More than 200 people have been killed after a mine collapsed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to government officials.

The country’s Ministry of Mines said the incident occurred in the Rubaya mining area in North Kivu, a region known for deposits of coltan, a key mineral used in electronic devices.

Authorities said the collapse was triggered by unusually heavy rainfall that struck the area, causing parts of the mine to give way.

Local media reports suggest the death toll could exceed 400 people, not including those still missing after the disaster.

Rubaya is one of the main coltan-producing zones in eastern Congo, where mining activity often takes place in hazardous conditions and is frequently carried out by artisanal miners.

The tragedy highlights ongoing safety risks in the region’s mining sector, which supplies minerals critical to the global electronics industry.