DID Press: International media have reported that following a landslide at a mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 200 people lost their lives. This incident occurred at the ‘Rubaya’ mine in North Kivu province.
According to reports, this disaster happened when heavy rains caused a large soil slide and the collapse of mine tunnels. As a result, hundreds of miners and people present around the mine were trapped under masses of mud and rocks.
Officials from the Ministry of Mines of Congo have announced that among the victims are dozens of children and miners, and a number of the injured have been transferred to hospitals in the city of Goma for treatment.
This mine is of the ‘coltan’ type; an important mineral used to produce a metal called tantalum, which is used in the manufacture of electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers. It is said that the Rubaya mines supply about 15 percent of the global demand for this material.
Reports also indicate that many of these mines are operated informally and without safety standards by local workers, which has led to frequent fatal accidents.