32 people were killed when an overcrowded bridge at a copper mine in DRC collapsed. Image Anadoju Ajansi.
(The Post News)- At least 32 people have been killed after a makeshift bridge collapsed at a copper-cobalt mine in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to provincial authorities, the disaster occurred at the Kalando mine in the Mulondo area of Lualaba province. Large numbers of informal, or “wildcat,” miners had entered the site.
Officials say they had previously warned miners to stay away. Heavy rains had increased the risk of landslides and structural failures. To reach the mining area, workers crossed a narrow, improvised bridge built over a flooded trench. Witnesses report that the structure gave way under the weight of a large crowd of miners rushing across it. They were sending many plunging into the water below.
A preliminary report by the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service (SAEMAPE) suggests panic will have been triggered when soldiers deployed to the site fired shots into the air. The gunfire reportedly caused miners to flee toward the bridge en masse, contributing to the collapse.
While local officials have confirmed at least 32 deaths, some estimates put the toll closer to 40 or even higher as recovery efforts continue. Rescue workers say the number can still rise, as several people stay unaccounted for. Authorities have suspended activity at the Kalando mine pending a full investigation.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of dangerous conditions faced by artisanal miners in the DRC. Informal mining is widespread and often conducted with little oversight or proper safety infrastructure.
Human Rights Groups Demand Answers
The Kalando mine has been a longstanding flashpoint between unauthorized miners, local cooperatives, and the site’s legal operators. The tragedy highlights ongoing tensions within the country’s lucrative cobalt sector, a key source of minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries and other modern technologies
Human rights groups are calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances of the collapse. The reported actions of security forces, and for broader reforms to improve safety and oversight in the artisanal mining industry.
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