• Source:JND
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Congo bridge collapse: At least 32 people were killed when a bridge collapsed at the Kalando copper and cobalt mining site in Lualaba province on Saturday, officials confirmed. It was among the worst mining-related incidents in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year.

According to Congo's artisanal mining agency, SAEMAPE, the incident happened after gunfire allegedly erupted from soldiers deployed to secure the area. The sudden panic forced dozens of the miners to move toward a narrow bridge, which gave way under the weight of the crowd. Many fell in the deep ravine that lies beneath the fallen bridge, while others were crushed in the stampede.

Conflicting Death Tolls Emerge

An official told Reuters that as many as 49 people had died, and at least 20 others were critically injured. However, Lualaba’s provincial interior minister, Roy Kaumba, confirmed 32 deaths in a televised briefing later. He said rescue teams continued operations on Sunday to determine the final casualty count.

In a detailed report issued on Sunday, SAEMAPE said that victims were found "piled on top of each other," underlining the severity of the overcrowding at the time of the collapse.

Human rights groups have demanded clarity on the events that preceded the tragedy. The Initiative for the Protection of Human Rights said multiple accounts pointed to clashes having broken out between miners and soldiers moments before the bridge gave way. It called on authorities to open an independent investigation into the military's role at the site.

Illegal Mining, Rainfall Warnings Ignored

In a separate statement, provincial authorities said that groups of illegal miners entered the restricted zone despite warnings tied to heavy rainfall and the heightened risk of landslides. "Despite the strict prohibition on accessing the site due to heavy rainfall, illegal diggers forced their way into the quarry," Interior Minister Kaumba said.

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Congo is the world's largest producer of cobalt, a mineral crucial for electric vehicle batteries and consumer electronics. An estimated 1.5 to 2 million people are working in artisanal mining around the country, but most safety measures remain inadequate.

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Accidents at unregulated or semi-regulated sites are common because of weak oversight, unstable terrain, and limited equipment. Landslides, tunnel collapses, and structural failures, like the bridge collapse on Saturday, have claimed dozens of lives every year. Global rights groups have long raised alarm over unsafe working conditions, child labour, and exploitative practices in Congo’s mineral-rich provinces, many of them affected by conflict involving armed groups.

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