At Least 32 Miners Died in the Collapse of a Bridge at a Cobalt Mine in the Southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, AFP Reports, Citing Local Authorities
By Intel Slava
At least 32 miners died in the collapse of a bridge at a cobalt mine in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, AFP reports citing local authorities. The collapse occurred due to a landslide in the Lualaba province. The head of the provincial Ministry of Internal Affairs, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, told journalists that the search continues.
The bridge, built by the miners, collapsed on November 15. The governor of Lualaba, Fifi Massuka, told the radio station RFI that the death toll may increase, TASS reports. The agency also refers to data from the miners’ association, which reports 49 dead and dozens missing.
According to local authorities, the bridge collapsed due to heavy rains. Because of them, a landslide occurred at the mine. According to the radio station, a conflict occurred between the guards and the miners. Armed guards opened fire to disperse the crowd. They damaged the makeshift bridge, causing it to collapse and trigger the landslide.
