The incident happened when two galleries caved in at a mine in the Kolwezi area operated by Kamoto Copper Company (KCC), a subsidiary of the Swiss company Glencore, a Congolese official said.
Representational image (Photo: IStock)
At least 43 illegal miners were killed and many wounded after parts of a copper mine collapsed in southeastern DR Congo late on Thursday, according to an official.
The incident happened when two galleries caved in at a mine in the Kolwezi area operated by Kamoto Copper Company (KCC), a subsidiary of the Swiss company Glencore, a Congolese official said.
“Glencore had put the number of fatalities at 19 but noted in a statement that there could be “possible further unconfirmed fatalities”, an official added.
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During a press briefing, Richard Muyej, governor of the Lualaba province told that “43 miners had died in the accident. A day earlier he had put the toll at 36”.
Muyej further said, “After the burials, we will hold a big meeting with leaders of the illegal miners to agree once and for all on the rules.” The region is rich in copper and cobalt.
The Red Cross and some civil groups put the number of fatalities even higher, at between 60 and 80.
Illegal mining is common and frequently deadly in Democratic Republic of Congo, where safety is often poor and risk-taking is high.
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