Mine collapse in eastern DRC kills at least 10, says provincial governor
At least 10 people were killed in a gold mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the rebel-appointed governor of South Kivu province said on Thursday.
M23 rebels have seized east DRC's two biggest cities since January in an escalation of a long-running conflict rooted in the spillover into DRC of Rwanda's 1994 genocide and the struggle for control of DRC's vast mineral resources.
DRC's government and M23 pledged in a statement released on Wednesday after talks in Qatar to work towards peace, raising a glimmer of hope in the latest cycle of violence.
Douglas Dunia Masumbuko, the M23-appointed South Kivu governor, told Reuters on Thursday that the death toll at the Luhihi mine had reached 10 "and could rise, given the number of injuries".
He blamed the incident on "uncontrolled construction and poor maintenance of gold wells" in the area.
Mining accidents are rife in the giant Central African country, especially at small artisanal sites.
Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi, who was governor of South Kivu before M23 took over, confirmed there had been a collapse at the mine but did not provide a death toll.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
3 hours ago
- eNCA
Second batch of SANDF troops touchdown in SA
PRETORIA - More SANDF troops are returning home from deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The second batch of 257 soldiers landed in Pretoria after a long journey of withdrawal from the DRC. These men and women were fighting against the M23 rebels in Goma, East of DRC. They were part of a SADC peacekeeping mission in conflict-ridden eastern DRC. Their phased withdrawal comes after a decision by the regional body to end its mission in the area. Earlier this year, 14 South African soldiers lost their lives while fighting in the Goma region. On Friday night the first batch of almost 250 soldiers at Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria. Since the end of April troops have been withdrawing from the DRC using trucks to travel overland. The withdrawal had a number of challenges including logistical delays due to the heavy equipment that had to be moved from their base near Goma.
The Herald
6 hours ago
- The Herald
Second group of SA troops returning home from DRC to arrive on Sunday
The first group of 249 soldiers returned on Friday, landing at Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria after experiencing delays due to technical and logistical challenges. After they arrived they travelled to Tempe military base in Bloemfontein, arriving in the early hours of Saturday. The mission was sent to assist Kinshasa's fight against rebel groups in the DRC's war-ravaged eastern borderlands in December 2023. The 16-member Sadc said in mid-March it had terminated the mandate and would begin a phased withdrawal of its force from the DRC. According to the SANDF, the withdrawal was informed by the directive issued by the Sadc extraordinary summit of heads of state and government meeting held virtually on March 13. The bodies of 14 SANDF soldiers killed when M23 rebels captured the key city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, were repatriated to South Africa in February. Earlier this year, scores of SANDF soldiers were wounded in clashes between M23 rebel forces and DRC government troops. About 200 soldiers returned in February from the DRC. TimesLIVE
Eyewitness News
a day ago
- Eyewitness News
SANDF says troops returning from DRC to undergo demobilisation process
JOHANNESBURG - The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said troops returning from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) would undergo a four-day demobilisation process to help them reintegrate into society. The first group of 249 personnel landed at Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Pretoria on Friday, following a six-hour delay. ALSO READ: - Officials confident all SANDF troops deployed to DRC will be back home by end of June - First flight carrying 249 SANDF troops from DRC arrives in SA - SA blames SADC for the delayed return of 249 SANDF troops from Tanzania They had been deployed to Goma since December 2023 as part of a regional peacekeeping mission in the conflict-ridden North Kivu province. As the troops disembarked from the Tanzanian aircraft, they broke out in song, a moment of emotion and relief following months of battle with M23 rebels in eastern DRC. Their return follows a ceasefire agreement reached between the M23 and the DRC military during a summit in Tanzania in March. Fourteen South African soldiers lost their lives during the deployment. "The South African National Defence Force troops that have just come back from southeast DRC. They are in a very, very good, high spirit," said SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala. "We have seen them on visual search, having enjoyment and singing songs of enjoyment. It's an atmosphere of jubilation, if I can put it that way, in a nutshell." The remainder of the deployed army personnel are expected to return home by the end of June.
