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Congo mine explosion: A major accident occurred on Saturday in a copper mine in the south-eastern part of Congo. There was chaos after a bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine in Lualaba province. A total of 32 people died in this accident. This incident is one of the worst mining accidents in Congo this year. According to the government artisanal mining agency SAEMAPE, the accident occurred when suddenly the sound of firing was heard in the mining area.
It is being told that on hearing the news of firing from the military personnel deployed for security, panic spread among the mine workers and they quickly started running towards a narrow bridge. Due to the heavy pressure of the running people, the bridge suddenly broke and the workers fell down. The agency said that workers started falling on each other, resulting in the death and serious injuries of many people. Some officials had initially claimed 49 deaths and more than 20 injured, but the local administration has officially confirmed 32 deaths.
Millions of people depend on mines in Congo
There are also reports of clashes between workers and soldiers before the accident. Keeping this in mind, human rights organization Initiative for the Protection of Human Rights has demanded an independent investigation into the role of the military. Artisanal mining in Congo provides livelihood to 15 to 20 lakh people, but security arrangements are very weak. Such accidents have become common due to working in unstable areas, often without safety equipment. Sometimes the tunnel collapses, sometimes the ground sinks and sometimes the crowded bridges and roads collapse.
Accidents have happened before too
2025 — Lualaba, coltan mine accident
At least 20 people were killed when a roof collapsed at a coltan mine in eastern Congo. This accident occurred due to unstable conditions, weak local security and unsafe mining conditions.
2022 — Kasai Diamond Mine Incident
More than 40 people died in a tunnel collapse at a diamond mine in Tshikapa, Kasai province. This was also part of an unregulated mining activity, where safety standards were lacking.
2019 — KOV copper/cobalt mine accident
At the KOV mine in Lualaba province, near a Glencore-operated mine, about 43 miners were killed when a mine wall collapsed. This incident also highlights the hidden conflict between commercial and corporate mine operators.
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