More than 200 people died this week in a coltan mine collapse in Rubaya, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lubumba Kambere Muyisa, a spokesman for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located, told Reuters on Monday.
Rubaya accounts for 15% of the world's coltan production, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that is sought after by manufacturers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace equipment and gas turbines. The mine, where locals dig by hand for a few dollars a day, fell under the control of the M23 rebel group in 2024.
The collapse occurred on Wednesday and the exact number of dead is not yet known, Reuters reports.