More than 200 people have been killed when a mine collapsed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesman for the governor of the North Kivu province that houses coltan mine in Rubaya, told Reuters.
The exact death toll has yet to be established as some bodies remain stuck in mud and have not been recovered.
Rubaya produces around 15 per cent of the world's coltan, a mineral that is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines.
The site, where workers dig manually for a few dollars a day, has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024.
Mr Muyisa said: "More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries." He added that about 20 people remain in hospital.
However, an adviser to the governor said the number of confirmed dead was at least 227. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media.
"We are in the rainy season, the ground is fragile," he said. "It was the ground that gave way while the victims were in the hole."
The UN says M23 has been plundering Rubaya's riches to help fund its insurgency, backed by the government of neighbouring Rwanda, an allegation Kigali denies.
