A gold mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has left at least 10 people dead, according to Douglas Dunia Masumbuko, the M23-appointed governor of South Kivu province. The tragic incident occurred at the Luhihi mine, a site notorious for its hazardous conditions.
The M23 rebels, who have controlled the two largest cities in eastern Congo since January, are engaged in a prolonged conflict rooted in the region’s struggle for control over its mineral wealth and the complex historical backdrop of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Masumbuko told Reuters that the death toll could rise due to the number of injuries sustained during the collapse. He attributed the disaster to “uncontrolled construction and poor maintenance of gold wells” in the area, which are common causes of such accidents in small, artisanal mining sites across the country.
In a broader context, mining accidents are tragically frequent in the DRC, particularly in unregulated artisanal operations where safety standards are often disregarded.
Although Jean-Jacques Purusi, the former governor of South Kivu, confirmed the collapse, he did not provide a specific death toll. His tenure ended when the M23 rebels took control of the province.
The mining accident came shortly after a statement from both the Congolese government and the M23 rebels, made following talks in Qatar, in which they pledged to work toward peace. This announcement brought a glimmer of hope in a region long plagued by violence and instability.
