A large-scale tragedy occurred in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a result of a collapse at the site of artisanal coltan mining, the number of victims exceeded two hundred people, including children.
The emergency occurred in the middle of the week near the village of Rubaya, located in the province of North Kivu. Underground mine workings collapsed, where local residents extracted minerals by hand. According to local officials, not only workers, but also random people nearby were trapped under the rubble.
The preliminary cause of the disaster is said to be heavy rains that eroded the soil. Rescuers pulled several dozen victims from the rubble, who were seriously injured and were hospitalized.
The area is rich in deposits of coltan, a mineral needed for the production of electronics, including smartphones and laptops. The zone is currently under the control of armed groups, which, according to international organizations, use revenues from mining to finance their activities.
The final death toll is still being determined. According to unconfirmed information, it can reach 227 people.
This disaster brings renewed attention to the harsh working conditions and high risks in artisanal mining region. The incident also raises the issue of transparency in global commodity chains and the responsibility of consumer companies for the sources of supplied materials.
Source: Reuters
Image: Zohra Bensemra
