KINSASHA, Mar 5 – More than 200 people, including 70 children, have been killed after a landslide caused a collapse in a mining area in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The landslide struck Rubaya, the country’s biggest source of coltan – an ore vital in the electronics industry – in the rebel-controlled east on Tuesday following heavy rains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, the mines ministry blamed the tragedy on M23 rebels and said they were allowing illegal mining without proper safety standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The M23 are yet to comment but a source in Rubaya told the BBC the collapse was caused by attacks from government forces and only six had died. The government has not responded to the claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mines in Rubaya are thought to hold about 15% of the world’s coltan supply and half of the DR Congo’s total deposits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The metallic ore contains tantalum, which is used to produce high-performance capacitors in a range of electronic devices, making it in high demand worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 2024, the M23 have been in control of Rubaya, which lies about 70 km (45 miles) west of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The authorities said rescue efforts after Tuesday’s landslide were hampered by dangerous conditions, which they blamed on restrictions imposed by rebels on civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In a statement, the mines ministry blamed the tragedy on M23 rebels and said they were allowing illegal mining without proper safety standards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14346,"featured_media":795681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2449,26,7515],"tags":[48134,1981,14578],"coauthors":[9115],"class_list":["post-795756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-national-disaster","category-top-stories","category-top-story","tag-drc-landslide","tag-featured","tag-m23"],"yoast_head":"\n