Reports indicate at least 32 people were killed on Saturday, November 15, after a makeshift bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine in Mulondo, Lualaba province, in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The collapse occurred when panic-stricken miners rushed across the structure, which had been erected to cross a flooded trench at the copper and cobalt mining site.
Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the province’s interior minister, confirmed the deaths during a press conference, stating that illegal miners had forced their way into the quarry despite strict prohibitions. “Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry,” Mayonde said.
The term “wildcat miners” refers to artisanal or informal miners who work outside official mining operations, often without proper safety equipment or legal authorization. These miners argue they have traditional rights to work the land and extract minerals to support their families, while licensed operators maintain they have legal concessions to operate the mines.
According to a report by SAEMAPE, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service, soldiers stationed at the site fired gunshots that sparked panic among the miners. The gunfire caused miners to rush toward the bridge in an attempt to escape, resulting in the structure’s collapse. The report described how miners ended up piled on top of each other, causing the deaths and injuries.
The Kalando mine has been at the center of a longstanding dispute between wildcat miners and the site’s legal operators. Arthur Kabulo, the provincial coordinator for the National Human Rights Commission, reported that more than 10,000 wildcat miners operated at Kalando.
Following the incident, two miners were found to have sustained bullet wounds, though no deaths from gunshot wounds were confirmed by authorities. The Initiative for the Protection of Human Rights requested an independent investigation into the military’s role in the deaths, citing reports of clashes between miners and soldiers at the site. Provincial authorities suspended operations at the mine on Sunday, November 17.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a critical mineral used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries power electric vehicles, smartphones, laptops and numerous other electronic devices that have become essential to modern life. The global transition toward renewable energy and electric transportation has dramatically increased demand for cobalt, making the DRC’s mineral resources increasingly valuable on the international market.
Chinese companies control approximately 80 percent of cobalt production in the central African nation, reflecting the country’s significant role in global supply chains. However, the formal mining sector operates alongside a massive informal economy. Between 1.5 and 2 million people work in artisanal mining across the DRC, often in dangerous conditions with minimal safety protections or regulatory oversight.
The cobalt mining industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo has long been plagued by accusations of child labor, unsafe working conditions and widespread corruption. These issues have drawn international scrutiny from human rights organizations, technology companies and governments concerned about the ethical sourcing of minerals. Many major electronics manufacturers have faced pressure to ensure their supply chains do not rely on minerals extracted through exploitative labor practices.
Mining accidents are not uncommon in the DRC, where inadequate infrastructure, limited safety regulations and the prevalence of informal mining operations create hazardous working conditions. The country’s vast mineral wealth stands in stark contrast to widespread poverty among its population, many of whom turn to artisanal mining as one of the few available means of generating income. The intersection of extreme poverty, valuable natural resources and weak institutional oversight creates an environment where dangerous situations can develop rapidly.
The collapse at Kalando mine highlights the ongoing challenges facing mineral extraction in developing nations, where global demand for resources intersects with local poverty, inadequate regulation and competing claims over land and mineral rights. As the world’s appetite for cobalt continues to grow alongside the expansion of electric vehicle production and renewable energy technologies, the pressures on mining regions in the DRC are likely to intensify, potentially leading to further conflicts between different stakeholders in the industry.