2026 Rubaya mine collapse

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2026 Rubaya mine collapse
SRSG visits coltan mine in Rubaya (13406579753).jpg
The Rubaya mines in 2014
Democratic Republic of the Congo (26 provinces) - Nord-Kivu.svg
The Rubaya mines are located in North Kivu province of the DRC.
DateJanuary 28, 2026 (2026-01-28)
Location Rubaya mines
CauseLandslides caused by heavy rain
Deaths200+
Non-fatal injuries~20

On 28 January 2026, a severe collapse occurred at the Rubaya mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), killing over 200 people with concerns that up to 400 have died. [1] [2] The mine collapse was caused by a landslide that was the result of years of poor mining practices and a lack of maintenance. Several individual mines collapsed in the landslide. [3]

Contents

Background

The Rubaya mines in the eastern DRC have been controlled by M23 rebels since May 2024. [4] M23 has since imposed taxes on coltan, which is mined at Rubaya, amounting to over $800,000 per month. [3] The Rubaya mines account for over 15% of the world's tantalum supply. [3] [5] Mine tunnels are often dug by hand with little oversight and without safety measures. The tunnels are over-mined and left without maintenance for years. Up to 500 miners could work in one mining pit. [3]

Landslide and collapse

Heavy rains caused a major landslide at the Rubaya mines on 28 January 2026. [3] Two landslides were reported: one on the afternoon of 28 January and one on the morning of 29 January. [5] Several individual mines collapsed as a result of the landslides. [3]

Aftermath

At first 200 people were estimated to have been killed in the collapse, [3] including children and women. [6] However, rescue efforts were complicated by mud, and not all bodies were recovered. [3] [5] Around 20 injured miners were taken to hospitals in the town of Rubaya and the nearest large city, Goma. [3] [7] An anonymous DRC official said that 227 people had been killed, however this has not been confirmed. [8] On February 2, more than 400 deaths were confirmed in the incident, most of the dead being artisanal miners, but also children, small traders who worked in the vicinity of the mine and residents of the surrounding villages, some of which were destroyed by the collapse. [9] [10]

The M23-appointed governor of North Kivu province, Erasto Bahati Musanga, halted artisanal mining at the Rubaya mines site [3] [7] Some residents had built shelters in the area near the mines and were ordered to relocate. [3] [11] The mines were reopened by February 2, despite a number of miners still being missing. [12]

The Government of Congo issued a statement in French accusing M23 of illegally running the mines while M23 accused the Government of politicizing the collapse. [12] [4] [13]

References

  1. ↑ "Near 400 feared dead in DRC mine collapse". northernminer.com/. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  2. ↑ "More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in eastern DRC, officials say". The Guardian. Reuters. 2026-01-30. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Mine collapses in eastern Congo, leaving at least 200 dead". AP News. 2026-01-31. Archived from the original on 2026-02-01. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  4. 1 2 McMakin, Wilson (2026-02-02). "What to know after a deadly landslide in eastern Congo kills at least 200 miners". The Washington Post (AP). ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  5. 1 2 3 "DRC: Many killed in coltan mine disaster in east — rebels". dw.com. Archived from the original on 2026-02-01. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  6. ↑ "More than 200 killed in mine collapse in eastern DR Congo". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  7. 1 2 "DR Congo: More than 200 killed in mine collapse". www.bbc.com. 2026-02-01. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  8. ↑ "Rubaya coltan mine collapse in eastern Congo kills more than 200". nationthailand. 2026-02-02. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  9. ↑ "Más de 400 muertos por el deslizamiento de tierra en una mina ilegal de coltán en RD del Congo de los rebeldes del M23". elespanol.com (in Spanish). 3 February 2026. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  10. ↑ "Ascienden a más de 400 los muertos por el deslizamiento de tierra en una mina en RD Congo". swissinfo.ch (in Spanish). 2026-02-02. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  11. ↑ "Mine collapses in eastern Congo, leaving at least 200 dead". NPR (AP). 2026-01-31. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  12. 1 2 Alonga, Ruth; Kabumba, Justin; Mcmakin, Wilson. "Families mourn those killed in a Congo mine landslide as some survivors prepare to return". ABC News (AP). Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  13. ↑ Ministère de la Communication et Médias/RDC [@Com_mediasRDC] (January 31, 2026). "Le Gouvernement de la RDC présente ses condoléances aux familles des victimes du drame de Rubaya (Masisi). Ce drame est la conséquence directe de l'occupation armée et du pillage illégal des ressources naturelles. Communiqué officiel 👇🏾" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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