By Admin 
A tragic accident in south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo shocked everyone. On November 15, a temporary wooden bridge at a cobalt mine in Lualaba province collapsed, causing a large number of wildcats working inside to fall down. This accident was so terrible that many bodies were not even visible inside the mine.
According to officials, 32 bodies have been recovered and the rescue team is continuously searching for more people. Due to rain, the mine was already submerged in water, hence it is becoming very difficult to rescue the miners trapped under the debris. Provincial Home Minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde said the death toll could rise further as many people were still unaccounted for.
🚨🇨🇩 BREAKING: 32+ DEAD AFTER MINE BRIDGE COLLAPSES IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Southeastern DRC, A bridge at the Kalando mine in Mulondo, Lualaba province, gave way Saturday under a panicked crowd of illegal diggers, killing at least 32, with bodies reportedly piled on each… https://t.co/nzOjtppU5T pic.twitter.com/PMrYLOiZ5G
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 17, 2025
Despite the ban, thousands of illegal miners had entered the mine
After heavy rains, the risk of landslides and floods had increased, so the administration had imposed a temporary ban on entry into the mine. Despite this, a large number of people entered the mine. Suddenly the crowd on the wooden bridge built over a ditch filled with water increased and due to not being able to withstand the pressure, the bridge broke from the middle. In the sudden accident, people started falling on each other and many people died. According to local officials, there was an atmosphere of chaos at the spot and a stampede-like situation was created.
Old conflict going on with China backed company
Government agency SAEMAPE said that this mine has long been the center of tension between illegal miners and the China-backed company working there. Illegal miners are often afraid of the presence of soldiers deployed around the mines and sometimes even protest. Even on the day of the accident, the restlessness among the miners had increased after seeing the soldiers nearby, due to which the crowd suddenly climbed the bridge together.
Pictures exposed the horrific situation
The horror of the incident was clearly visible in the video and photographs. Miners were seen pulling out bodies from the water-filled pit, while several dead bodies were seen lying on the ground nearby. The photographs also revealed that about ten thousand wildcat miners were working in the mine without any safety equipment.
Center of cobalt production, but the industry is surrounded by controversies
Congo is today the world’s largest cobalt producing country and approximately seventy percent of the global production comes from here alone. Cobalt plays an important role in batteries of electric vehicles, mobile phones and laptops, hence its global demand is high.
Also read: Tejas will thunder in Dubai Air Show, India’s Minister of State for Defense will hold meeting with 50 foreign companies