More than 200 people have died following the collapse of a coltan mining site in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the country’s Ministry of Mines. The disaster occurred on Tuesday at the Rubaya mining area in North Kivu province after exceptionally heavy rainfall triggered a landslide on the Kasasa mountain that buried miners working at the site.
The Southern African Times understands from government statements that the provisional death toll exceeds 200 people, including around 70 minors. Authorities have indicated that the final number may rise as rescue and recovery efforts continue in a region where access remains difficult.
Rubaya is one of the most significant coltan producing areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country widely recognised for its vast mineral resources. Coltan, short for columbite tantalite, is the principal ore used to produce tantalum, a heat resistant metal widely used in the manufacture of mobile phones, semiconductors and other advanced electronic components. According to assessments cited by the United Nations, the Rubaya mines alone contribute an estimated 15 percent of the global supply of tantalum, underscoring the site’s strategic importance within global mineral supply chains. Further background on the mineral can be found in the Encyclopaedia Britannica overview of coltan, while global production data is available through the United States Geological Survey’s tantalum statistics.
Local testimony suggests that the landslide occurred after intense rainfall destabilised slopes above the mining shafts. David Kasereka, an artisanal miner from Rubaya, told The Southern African Times that “the earth swallowed many people” when the hillside gave way. Artisanal miners and nearby residents were reportedly present at the site when the collapse occurred.
The Rubaya mining zone has been under the control of the March 23 Movement, commonly known as M23, since 2024. The presence of the armed group has complicated rescue operations and humanitarian access. The United Nations and several regional bodies have documented the continued volatility of eastern Congo, where armed groups, local defence forces and state actors intersect within a complex political and economic environment shaped partly by mineral extraction. More detail about the armed group’s activity and the broader conflict environment is documented in reports by the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In November 2025 the Congolese government reclassified the Rubaya mining zone as a red zone, a designation that formally prohibits mining activity and mineral trading because of security concerns and safety risks. Despite these restrictions, artisanal mining activity has continued in parts of the region. Artisanal and small scale mining remains a major source of livelihoods across the eastern provinces, even as it exposes workers to significant hazards including landslides, poorly reinforced shafts and environmental degradation. Research examining the intersection between mineral extraction, governance challenges and armed conflict in the region has been published by organisations such as Global Witness in its work on conflict minerals.
This latest incident follows another fatal collapse reported in January at coltan mining sites in the same Rubaya area. Local media at the time suggested that the number of fatalities may have exceeded 400 when including missing persons. These repeated accidents have renewed discussion among Congolese authorities, regional organisations and civil society about the need for safer mining practices and improved oversight of artisanal extraction.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds some of the world’s largest deposits of cobalt, copper, tantalum and other critical minerals that underpin global energy and digital technologies. The country’s mineral wealth has long drawn international attention, yet communities living near extraction zones continue to face difficult working conditions, environmental risks and security challenges. The importance of strengthening governance and safety standards in the sector has been highlighted in development research by institutions such as the World Bank’s country overview of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the African Development Bank’s profile of the country, both of which emphasise the need for mineral wealth to translate into sustainable development and community wellbeing.
The M23 movement has not publicly commented on the collapse. Congolese authorities say investigations into the incident are ongoing while local officials and community members continue recovery efforts.
The tragedy has once again drawn attention to the human cost embedded within global mineral supply chains and the realities faced by communities in eastern Congo whose labour and landscapes remain closely tied to the world’s demand for advanced technologies.
