At least 32 people were killed when an overcrowded makeshift bridge collapsed at a copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a regional official said Sunday.
Lualaba Province’s Interior Minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde told reporters that the collapse occurred Saturday at the Kalando mine in Mulondo after “the hasty crossing of the diggers,” which caused the temporary bridge to give way and plunge into a flooded ditch.
Mayonde said an investigation has been launched to identify those responsible and noted that illegal miners had forcibly entered the site despite a strict ban imposed due to heavy rains and heightened landslide risks.
Local media earlier reported that up to 70 people may have died in the incident. A video widely circulated online shows a section of the mine collapsing as people at the scene flee in panic.
Authorities said several workers are feared trapped under the rubble as search and rescue operations continue.
Mining accidents are frequent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where many artisanal mines operate without regulation, adequate safety measures or proper infrastructure.