More than 200 dead at mining site in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

At least 200 people were killed last week when a landslide destroyed several mines at a major coltan mining site in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to rebel authorities.

The landslide occurred last Wednesday in the Rubaya mines, which are under the control of the M23 (March 23) rebel movement. The landslide was caused by heavy rains.

“So far, there are more than 200 dead, some of whom are still in the mud and have not been recovered,” a spokesperson said. Several other people were injured and taken to 3 health facilities in the town of Rubaya, where ambulances are expected to transport the wounded to Goma, the nearest city about 50 kilometers (30 miles) away.

The rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu province has temporarily suspended mining operations at the site and ordered the relocation of residents who built shelters near the mine.

Rubaya lies at the heart of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a mineral-rich region in the Central African nation that has been torn apart for decades by violence from government forces and various armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 movement, whose recent resurgence has escalated the conflict, worsening an already acute humanitarian crisis.

The M23 movement is the most prominent among more than 100 armed groups vying for control of the mineral-rich eastern Congo, according to the United Nations.

The fighting has displaced more than 6 million people in the region, making it the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

M23 (March 23) took control of the mining town of Rubaya, which produces 15 to 30 percent of the world’s coltan, in April 2024.

It is estimated that conflict-ridden eastern Congo, torn by strife for 30 years, contains between 60 and 80 percent of the world’s reserves of the mineral from which tantalum is extracted, a key element in the manufacture of modern electronic equipment.

The site where workers operate using traditional methods is located about 70 kilometers west of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which has also been under M23 control since January 2025.

According to initial reports, part of a mountain slope collapsed in the mining area, which extends over tens of square kilometers, on Wednesday afternoon. Another soil slippage occurred on Thursday morning.

“The hill collapsed and people died,” said the M23-appointed governor of North Kivu province, who was present at the scene.

“Some bodies have been found,” he added, without giving a specific number but indicating the possibility of a large death toll.