More than 200 Dead in Landslide at DRC Coltan Mine, Disputes on Casualty Figures. Goma, DRC — 2026-03-05 LEAD PARAGRAPH A massive landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has killed more than 200 people, according to authorities.
The disaster, triggered by heavy rains, has raised concerns about the safety conditions at mining sites in the region.
DRC’s Ministry of Mines reported on Wednesday that around 70 children were among the deceased, with additional injured individuals being transported to medical facilities in Goma.
However, Fanny Kaj, a senior official in the M23 rebel group which controls the mines, contested the official figure, suggesting that the collapse was caused by bombings rather than a landslide, and that only five people had died. Ibrahim Taluseke, a miner at the site, contradicted Kaj’s claim, stating that he had helped recover over 200 bodies.
He expressed concerns over the safety of miners, noting that the owners of the pits were not willing to disclose the exact number of deaths.
The AFC (Congo River Alliance)/M23 Rwanda-backed rebel group, which has controlled the mine since 2024, advised that operations had been discouraged at the site and protective measures for miners had not been implemented. They attributed the incident to the heavy rains experienced over the past few days.
This is not the first such incident at the site; a similar collapse in late January following heavy rainfall also resulted in over 200 deaths.
At that time, Congolese authorities blamed the rebels for allowing illegal mining without sufficient safety standards. Rubaya is a significant producer of coltan, which is a crucial metal used in the manufacturing of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components, and gas turbines.
The mine’s importance has also led the Congolese government to include it in a list of mining assets offered to the United States under a minerals cooperation framework.
The exact circumstances of the landslide remain under investigation. Further details are expected to emerge as the situation unfolds.
