At least 10 people have been killed following the collapse of a gold mine in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local authorities confirmed. The incident occurred at the Luhihi mine in South Kivu province.
Douglas Dunia Masumbuko, the M23-appointed governor of South Kivu, attributed the collapse to “uncontrolled construction and poor maintenance of gold wells.” He warned that the death toll could rise due to the number of injuries and ongoing rescue efforts.
Mining accidents are a frequent occurrence in the DRC, particularly at artisanal and small-scale operations where safety regulations are minimal or poorly enforced.
The disaster comes amid growing instability in eastern Congo, where M23 rebel forces have recently expanded their control, including seizing the region’s two largest cities earlier this year. The conflict, deeply rooted in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and fueled by competition over Congo’s vast mineral wealth, continues to displace thousands of civilians.
Despite the worsening situation, there are cautious signs of progress. Following recent peace talks in Qatar, both the Congolese government and M23 representatives pledged to work toward a peaceful resolution.
Jean-Jacques Purusi, the former governor of South Kivu before the M23 takeover, also confirmed the mine collapse but did not provide detailed casualty figures.
