At least 300 people have died in the mining disaster in eastern Congo.

Journalists at the central office learned on February 2nd local time that a large-scale collapse accident at the Rubaya cobalt-tantalum mine in North Kivu Province in eastern Congo has resulted in at least 300 deaths and more than 100 people missing. The victims are mostly artisanal miners, including women and children. Due to limited rescue resources and difficult access to the site, the search and rescue operation is progressing slowly. A spokesperson for the Congolese anti-government armed group "M23 Movement" confirmed earlier that on January 28th and 29th, several mine shafts collapsed, burying a large number of miners. Since April 2024, the "M23 Movement" has controlled the important cobalt-tantalum mining area in the Rubaya region.