At least 32 miners were killed when a makeshift bridge collapsed at the Kalando cobalt mine in Lualaba province, southeast Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), authorities confirmed Sunday. The bridge gave way on Saturday over a flooded section of the mine, causing a devastating loss of life.
Roy Kaumba Mayonde, Lualaba’s provincial interior minister, told reporters that 32 bodies had been recovered and that search efforts for additional victims were ongoing. “Despite a formal ban on accessing the site due to heavy rain and the risk of landslides, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry,” Mayonde said.
The Kalando mine is one of the DRC’s many illegal cobalt mining sites. Estimates suggest more than 200,000 people work in informal mining operations across the country. Cobalt is a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, laptops, and mobile phones, and the DRC produces over 70% of the world’s supply.
A report from the SAEMAPE government agency highlighted that the presence of soldiers at the mine triggered panic, which contributed to the bridge collapse. Miners reportedly rushed across the structure, piling on top of each other, leading to the high casualty count. Images from the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) showed miners recovering bodies from the flooded trench, with at least 17 laid out nearby.
The Kalando mine has long been a hotspot of tension between informal miners, cooperatives meant to organize mining, and legal operators, some reportedly linked to Chinese companies. Authorities noted that over 10,000 wildcat miners operate at the site. In response to the disaster, provincial officials suspended mining operations at Kalando.
The tragedy underscores the ongoing challenges in DRC’s cobalt sector, which has faced repeated accusations of child labor, corruption, and unsafe working conditions. The country’s mineral wealth has fueled conflicts in the east for over three decades, with illegal mining operations continuing to pose serious risks to workers.
