At least 49 people have died and 20 others are critically injured after a bridge collapsed at the Kalando semi-industrial copper and cobalt mine in Lualaba province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the country’s artisanal mining agency.
The disaster, which occurred amid panic reportedly caused by gunfire from military personnel securing the site, has raised calls for an independent investigation into the military’s role in the tragedy.
The DRC’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service (SAEMAPE) told Reuters that the panic was “triggered by gunfire from military personnel securing the site”.
They added that the ensuing rush caused miners to pile on top of each other, “causing injuries and death”.
Lualaba Provincial Interior Minister Roy Kaumba said the official death toll confirmed so far is 32, but SAEMAPE’s report indicates the number of fatalities could be higher due to the scale of the collapse and injuries sustained.
The Initiative for the Protection of Human Rights has demanded an independent probe into the military’s involvement in the deadly incident, citing reports of confrontations between miners and soldiers at the site.
A military spokesperson, however, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Artisanal mining is a vital livelihood for millions in the DRC, directly employing an estimated two million people and supporting more than 10 million indirectly.
Despite this, mining accidents are distressingly common in the largely unregulated sector, which frequently exposes miners to unsafe conditions.
Deaths and injuries caused by mine collapses and other accidents are reported nearly every year across the country’s artisanal mining sites.
The Kalando mine, located in the mineral-rich Copperbelt region, is known for its copper and cobalt deposits — the latter being particularly critical globally for its use in lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles and other electronics.
The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, supplying over 70 per cent of global cobalt output, with Chinese companies controlling around 80 per cent of production in the country.
This makes the mining sector both economically significant and geopolitically sensitive.
The official report from SAEMAPE attributes the collapse to overcrowding and panic caused by gunfire from soldiers tasked with securing the site.
The region around Lualaba has faced long-standing disputes over military involvement in mining operations, which have often led to tension between artisanal miners, cooperatives, legal operators, and military forces.
The eastern and southeastern DRC have been plagued by decades of conflict involving government troops and armed groups like the Rwanda-backed M23 militia.
This ongoing violence exacerbates the already precarious security and humanitarian situation in the mineral-rich regions, where human rights abuses and allegations of war crimes have been reported by the United Nations and human rights organisations.
The DRC mining industry remains under intense scrutiny over issues including child labour, unsafe working conditions, corruption, and military interference.
Until systemic reforms and improved safeguards are implemented across artisanal mining communities, accidents like the recent Kalando bridge collapse will likely continue to devastate vulnerable populations dependent on mining for survival.
This tragic incident highlights urgent needs for better regulation, transparency, and independent oversight of the mining sector in the DRC, especially concerning the military’s role in securing mining areas.
