A collapse at a coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province has killed at least 12 people, according to a mining source and a civil society source.
Dozens more escaped from the artisanal mine when it collapsed on Thursday. The reasons for the collapse are not immediately clear.
The mine, located near the town of Rubaya, produces around one-sixth of the world’s supply of coltan, a metallic ore crucial to the production of smartphones and other electronic devices.
The area has been controlled by the M23 rebels since mid-2024, and they charge a tax of 15% on the value of coltan production.
