At least 200 miners have died following the collapse of multiple shafts at coltan mines in Rubaya, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a spokesperson for the March 23 Movement rebel group confirmed Friday.
The majority of the victims were artisanal miners trapped underground, and the casualties also included women and children, the spokesperson added.
The collapses took place on Wednesday and Thursday across several coltan mining sites in Rubaya, an area under rebel control since April 2024.
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Coltan, or columbite-tantalite, is a key source of tantalum, a rare metal essential for manufacturing advanced electronics. The United Nations estimates that Rubaya’s mines alone supply around 15 percent of the world’s tantalum.