At least 32 artisanal miners have died after a makeshift bridge gave way at a cobalt mining site in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The incident happened on Saturday at the Kalando mine in Lualaba Province. Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the province’s interior minister, told journalists that the bridge crashed into a flooded section of the mine. “Thirty-two bodies had been recovered,” he said, adding that rescue teams were still searching for more victims.
The DRC remains the world’s top supplier of cobalt—providing more than 70 percent of global output—an essential material used in batteries for electric vehicles, laptops, and mobile devices. Despite this, tens of thousands of Congolese earn a living as “wildcat” miners, operating informally in hazardous conditions across the country’s vast mining landscape.
Local officials said the disaster occurred roughly 42 kilometres southeast of Kolwezi. Mayonde noted that authorities had already restricted access to the area due to heavy rainfall and the looming threat of landslides. “Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry,” he explained. According to him, the weight of miners rushing across the improvised bridge caused it to give way.
A report from the SAEMAPE government agency—which supervises and supports mining cooperatives—suggested that the presence of soldiers at the site sparked panic among miners shortly before the collapse. The agency also highlighted an ongoing dispute involving artisanal miners, a cooperative responsible for organising mining activity, and the legal operators of the site, who reportedly have Chinese backing.
In the chaos, miners “piled on top of each other, causing the deaths and injuries,” the report noted.
Photos shared with AFP by the provincial branch of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) showed recovery efforts underway, with miners pulling bodies from the trench. At least 17 corpses could be seen laid out near the scene. CNDH provincial coordinator Arthur Kabulo said more than 10,000 wildcat miners work at Kalando. Authorities have since suspended all operations there.
The tragedy adds to the long-standing concerns surrounding the DRC’s cobalt industry, which has been dogged by allegations of child labour, unsafe working conditions, and entrenched corruption. The country’s mineral wealth has also fueled decades of conflict, especially in the eastern regions..view more