At least 32 people were killed when a bridge collapsed at a mine in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), local authorities confirmed on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday at the Kalando mine in Mulondo, Lualaba province.

According to Lualaba’s Interior Minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the bridge gave way due to severe overcrowding, after illegal miners forced their way onto the site despite official warnings.

“Access to the site had been strictly prohibited because of heavy rainfall and landslide risks, but illegal diggers forced their way into the quarry,” Mayonde said during a press briefing.

A report issued Sunday by SAEMAPE, the government agency overseeing artisanal and small-scale mining, stated that soldiers fired shots to disperse miners at the site, triggering panic. As miners fled toward the bridge, the sudden rush caused it to collapse, leaving victims “piled on top of each other,” the report said.

While provincial authorities reported at least 32 deaths, the SAEMAPE assessment suggested that the death toll may be 40 or more.

The Kalando mine has long been the subject of tensions involving informal miners, a cooperative tasked with regulating operations, and the mine’s legal operators, the report noted.

The DRC, which holds the world’s richest reserves of cobalt — a key component in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles — supplies around 80% of global production, much of it controlled by Chinese companies. However, the sector is frequently marred by allegations of child labor, unsafe working conditions, and corruption.

The tragedy comes amid ongoing unrest in mineral-rich eastern DRC, where conflict between government forces and armed groups — including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels — continues to fuel a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Source: CNN | Agencies