Landslide in Congo 2026: Hundreds Died After the Rubaya Mine Collapsed

Torrential seasonal rains in the Republic Democratic of the Congo often cause natural disasters. The latest hazard was a coltan mine landslide in Congo. It struck Rubaya mining sites suddenly, while miners were working inside the mining pits. It also affected nearby market sellers and children. 

This hazard is not the only landslide that occurred in Congo in January 2026. Roughly two weeks prior to this avalanche, another landslide occurred in Burutsi Village. However, this hazard was not as catastrophic as that in the Rubaya mine.

Coltan Mine Landslide in Congo in 2026

Rubaya coltan mine is located in North Kivu Province. This quarry has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since 2024. Moreover, this mining site produces 15-30% of the world’s coltan, an essential metal for making PCs and cell phones.

In the afternoon of January 28, 2026, the Rubaya mine suddenly collapsed, burying miners inside the mining pits. It also affected people in nearby locations. In the morning of January 29, another landslide occurred while survivors were clearing the debris from the previous hazard.

1. The Cause of the Rubaya Mine Landslide

The latest DR Congo landslide is the result of long-term issues. Thus, the right trigger can cause a catastrophic landslide. What are the causes of this hazard?

• Torrential Rain: A few days before the landslide in the Rubaya mine, torrential rain fell on the site and nearby areas. The long-lasting heavy rain caused the soil to soften and lose its stability.

• Mining Site Location: This artisanal mine sits on a steep hill, engraved with dirt roads and deep valleys. Areas with steep slopes are typically more prone to landslides. Thus, heavy rain that lasts for days can easily disrupt the Rubaya mine stability.

• Structures of the Mining Site: Miners in Rubaya only use traditional tools in extracting coltan. Moreover, the pits in this mine lack support beams or structural engineering. Accordingly, the Rubaya landslide in Congo cannot be avoided.

• Unregulated Exploitation: Rubaya coltan miners neglected safety procedures. The mining site was poorly maintained. The tunnels were too close to each other. Moreover, the pits in this mining site were overcrowded, up to 500 miners in one pit.

  The Impact of the Landslide

The recent landslide in DR Congo is one of the deadliest avalanches in the country. This hazard not only caused death tolls and injuries, but it may also have national and global impacts.

• Casualties: The landslide caused at least 221 fatalities. This number may increase because the pits in Rubaya were overcrowded. Moreover, this hazard injured at least 20 people. 

• Displacement: The militia group ordered those living near the Rubaya mining site to immediately evacuate the area. This order worsened the displacement crisis in Congo. Currently, more than 7 million people are internally displaced in this country.

• Global Supply Chain disruption: The Rubaya Congo landslide caused the mining activity to stop. This shutdown will affect the global coltan supply, leading to an increased price of this metal in the global market.

• Impact on the M23 Rebels: This hazard also caused the M23 rebel to suffer from a large financial loss to. Each month, this militia group earned roughly 800,000 USD from this mining site. Now that the mine was closed, this group didn’t get a large income.

Landslide in Burutsi, Congo

On January 13, 2026, a landslide hit Burutsi, a village in North Kivu. This village lies in a small valley at the foot of a steep hill. Therefore, it is not surprising that the village is vulnerable to landslides.

The landslide in Burutsi was not as fatal as the Rubaya landslide. However, it badly affected the villagers.

1. The Causes of Burutsi Landslide

One of the triggers of the Burutsi landslide was torrential rain that lasted for hours. The extreme rainfall caused the soil on the steep hillside near the village to be unstable. 

Moreover, the soil structure, which consists of regolith and large rocks, on this hillside is prone to landslides. The landslide risks increased even more due to deforestation. The lack of trees causes the hill to have no natural buffers for landslides.

2. The Impact of Burutsi Landslide

The hillside toppled into Burutsi after torrential rains fell for hours. The earth material buried 17 houses and the main roads connecting the village to the city of Goma and Walikale. This condition isolated the village and caused the authorities to have difficulties distributing logistics.

This hazard occurred at approximately 01.00 a.m., when villagers were asleep. As a result, many villagers were affected by this hazard. Authorities reported that 28 people died in this disaster, and 40 others were missing. The landslide also injured 20 people.

The latest landslide in Congo occurred in a coltan mine and caused hundreds of fatalities, most of whom were coltan miners. Authorities can actually minimize the fatalities in this mine if they have an advanced warning system. One of the ways to create such a system is by using cell broadcast technology from smsbroadcaster.com.