At least 32 people have died after a makeshift bridge collapsed at the Kalando copper and cobalt mine in southeastern Lualaba province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The incident occurred on Saturday when miners rushed across the bridge during heavy rainfall, officials said.
The province’s interior minister, Roy Kaumbe Mayonde, said access to the site had been formally banned because of landslide risks, but miners forced their way in. A report from the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service said panic triggered by gunfire from soldiers caused miners to rush onto the bridge, leading to the collapse.
The mine has been the site of longstanding disputes between independent miners, the cooperative managing the site, and legal operators with Chinese involvement. Authorities said more than 10,000 miners work at Kalando and operations were suspended on Sunday following the accident.
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Human rights groups have called for an independent investigation into the military’s role in the deaths. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a mineral critical for lithium-ion batteries, and the industry has long faced criticism over unsafe working conditions and allegations of child labour.
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