Trending Now - Over 200 Fatalities in DRC Coltan Mine Landslide

WHO:

Congolese Ministry of Mines

Ibrahim Taluseke, miner at Rubaya

Fanny Kaj, senior official in the M23 rebel group

Guillaume de Brier, researcher with the International Peace Information Service (IPIS)

Christian-Géraud Neema, nonresident scholar in the Carnegie Africa Program

M23 rebel group, which controls the mines

WHAT:

A landslide at a coltan mine in eastern Congo killed at least 200 people.

About 70 children were among the victims.

Injured individuals were evacuated to medical facilities in Goma.

The mine produces about 15% of the world’s coltan.

The M23 rebel group has imposed taxes on the monthly trade and transport of 120 metric tonnes (118 tons) of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month.

A similar collapse in January 2025 also resulted in over 200 deaths.

WHERE:

Rubaya coltan mine, located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

WHEN:

The landslide occurred on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

The previous collapse occurred in January 2025.

The M23 rebel group seized control of the town of Rubaya in May 2024.

WHY:

The collapse was attributed to heavy rains, according to the Congolese Ministry of Mines.

Fanny Kaj claimed the incident was caused by "bombings" and disputed the death toll.

Analysts noted that the lack of regulation and civil society protections due to M23's control has increased the number of miners and the risk of collapses.

HOW:

Miners operate largely by hand, digging long tunnels with limited support and no safe evacuation routes.

The M23 rebel group has discouraged continued operation at the site pending the implementation of protective measures for miners.

A tragic landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Congo on Tuesday claimed the lives of at least 200 people, including around 70 children, with injured individuals being evacuated to medical facilities in Goma. The mine, which produces about 15 percent of the world's coltan, has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since May 2024, and analysts have pointed to the lack of regulation and safety measures as contributing factors to the disaster. While the Congolese Ministry of Mines attributed the collapse to heavy rains, M23 official Fanny Kaj disputed the death toll and suggested that bombings may have played a role in the incident.