Bridge collapse at Congo copper mine leaves dozens dead, sparks calls for investigation
Authorities report dozens dead after panic triggered by alleged gunfire caused a bridge collapse at a Lualaba copper mine, prompting calls for an independent investigation.
Around 30 people were killed at a semi-industrial copper mine in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo after a bridge collapsed on Saturday, authorities said, in one of the deadliest accidents in the country’s artisanal mining sector this year.
Congo’s artisanal mining agency SAEMAPE told Reuters that 49 people had died and 20 others were critically injured following the collapse at the Kalando mining site in Lualaba province.
Provincial officials, however, later reported 32 confirmed fatalities, underscoring the difficulty of establishing an accurate toll after the chaotic incident.
Panic triggered by gunfire
According to SAEMAPE, the collapse occurred when panic swept through the area after gunfire allegedly erupted from military personnel tasked with securing the site. The agency said miners rushed across the bridge, collapsing it and “piling on top of each other, causing injuries and death.”
The Initiative for the Protection of Human Rights has demanded an independent investigation into the military’s actions, citing reports of clashes between miners and soldiers. The army has not yet commented.
Deadly conditions in unregulated mines
Mining accidents are common in Congo, where an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people work in largely unregulated artisanal mines that supply copper, cobalt, and other minerals to global markets. Fatal cave-ins and structural collapses occur frequently as miners—often using little more than hand tools—dig deep underground without safety protections.
Authorities say the injured have been taken to the hospital as recovery efforts continue.