GOMA, DR Congo, March 4, (V7N) – At least six people were killed Tuesday when a shaft collapsed at the Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest coltan mine in the rebel-controlled east, witnesses told AFP.  

Three women and three men died at the Rubaya mine, around 70 kilometres west of Goma in North Kivu province. Witnesses reported several others were seriously injured. “They recovered six bodies: three women and three men,” one witness said.  

Thousands of artisanal miners work in precarious conditions at Rubaya, which produces between 15 and 30 percent of global coltan. The site has been controlled by M23 rebels since April 2024, who levy a $7-per-kilogramme tax, generating around $800,000 monthly.  

The collapse occurred at the Gasasa quarry, marking the second fatal incident in recent weeks. Authorities feared up to 200 deaths in a massive landslide at the mine late last month.  

M23 has seized large areas of eastern DR Congo since its resurgence in 2021, exploiting the resource-rich region amid decades of conflict. Fighting in Rubaya intensified recently, with a February 24 drone strike killing M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma.  

END/WD/RH