At Least 32 Killed as Bridge Collapses in DR Congo Mine

At least 32 people have died after a temporary bridge collapsed inside a copper and cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Roy Komba Mayonde, provincial interior minister of Lualaba, told reporters that the bridge fell on Saturday in a flooded area of the mine.

He stated that 32 bodies have been recovered and many more are still missing. The DRC supplies over 70 percent of the world’s cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric vehicles, laptops, and mobile phones.

It is estimated that over 200,000 people work in the country’s vast illegal cobalt mines. Authorities said the bridge collapsed in the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres southeast of the provincial capital Kolwezi. Mayonde added that despite an official ban on entering the site due to heavy rains and landslide risks, many miners forced their way into the mine.

The temporary bridge had been built primarily to prevent floodwater from entering the mine. A large number of workers tried to cross it simultaneously, causing it to break and trigger a landslide, crushing workers beneath each other and resulting in a high death toll.

A report by the mining oversight body SAMAPI noted that gunfire from soldiers at the site caused panic among the miners. In the ensuing chaos, workers ran across the bridge, which collapsed, burying them under the soil. The report also highlighted longstanding disputes between the mine’s owners, a cooperative of miners, and the legal operators, with Chinese involvement noted.

Images sent to AFP by the provincial office of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) showed miners recovering bodies, with at least 17 corpses visible on the ground. Arthur Kabulo, the CNDH provincial coordinator, said over 10,000 miners were working at Kalando. Provincial authorities suspended operations at the site on Sunday.

There have long been allegations of child labour, dangerous working conditions, and corruption in DRC’s cobalt mining sector. The country’s mineral resources have also been at the centre of conflicts in the eastern region for more than three decades. Human rights organisations have called for an independent investigation into the role of the military, amid reports of clashes with miners. The army has not yet commented on the matter.

Source: AFP

Khaborwala/TSN