The 2026 Coltan Mine Collapse in Congo: What You Must Know About it

Coltan mines in Africa are mostly artisanal and small-scale mining. In other words, miners work manually to extract coltan in small mining sites. Moreover, African coltan miners often neglect safety procedures when digging for coltan. Therefore, the coltan mine collapse in Congo was not a surprise.

Congo has a large area of coltan mining sites called the Rubaya mine. It was a major producer for the world coltan market. Recently, this area suffered from a deadly landslide. Experts believed that this hazard was not only due to heavy rainfall, but also other systemic factors.

Coltan Mining in Congo

Congo is home to many artisanal coltan mining sites. However, the main coltan extraction is in Rubaya, North Kivu. Rubaya mine is located on steep terrain with many pits and dirt roads. Due to this topography, industrial mining practices cannot be done in Rubaya.

1. Coltan Mining Practice in Rubaya

Coltan miners in Rubaya mostly work manually using traditional tools. Moreover, they don’t apply safety standards in extracting coltan ore Congo. Consequently, they cannot protect themselves from the hazardous conditions in this mining site. 

The pits in this mine lack structural support. Moreover, they are generally overcrowded. According to the report, roughly 200 miners work in a single pit.

2. Production

The exploitation of coltan in Rubaya produces approximately 1,000 metric tons per year. It is approximately half of the total coltan production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Moreover, it ranges between 15% and 30% of the global coltan market.

Rubaya mining sites also generate 800,000 USD per month from taxing production. However, this income is not for the DR Congo government. 

In the last two years, the M23 rebel group has been controlling the Rubaya mine. Thus, this income is used for funding the M23 military operations.

3. Effects 

The irresponsible mining practices in Rubaya have several impacts on the environment. For example, it caused deforestation and erosion. This mining activity also pollutes the river water. This condition will surely harm local people and animals.

Coltan Mine Collapse in Congo

On January 28, 2026, one of the mining sites in the Rubaya coltan mine collapsed. It was not a surprising hazard for many people because the mining site lacked supporting structures and was located on steep, unstable terrain. 

Moreover, it was not the first coltan mine collapse in Congo. Below are landslides that have struck coltan mines in Congo.

1. 2013 Landslide

On May 20, 2013, a landslide struck a coltan mine in Koyi-Rubaya, Congo. This mining site is approximately 6 kilometers from Rubaya town. The trigger for this landslide was prolonged heavy rain. 

The excess rainwater made the steep, unstable hills more fragile. Moreover, the rainwater weakened the hand-dug tunnels and overhangs. Consequently, the Koyi-Rubaya mining site collapsed. 

The mudflow buried at least 100 artisanal miners. Due to this disaster, the UN advised local authorities to prohibit artisanal mining in Koyi-Rubaya. A team from MONUSCO also provided first-aid kits to help the injured miners.

2. 2025 Landslide

Another coltan mine collapse in Congo occurred on June 19, 2025. This landslide was also in Rubaya. However, it was more fatal than the 2013 mudflow. 

The collapsed mining site caused roughly 300 fatalities. Unfortunately, this disaster was not widely broadcast. Only a few media outlets reported this hazard.

3. 2026 Landslide

The most recent landslide in Congo’s coltan mine was on January 28, 2026. The collapsed mining pits were in the Luwowo mining site in Rubaya. This hazard occurred after heavy rain that lasted for hours. 

An early report said that this natural disaster killed roughly 200 artisanal miners and common people. However, by February 2, it was reported that more than 400 people died in this landslide. This hazard also injured at least 20 others. 

The high number of fatalities was not a surprising fact. At that time, a pit in the Rubaya mine was overcrowded with artisanal miners. Moreover, the area has high landslide risks. 

On January 29, other mines in the Luwowo mining site collapsed. From January 29 to February 1, authorities had conducted rescue efforts. 

Unfortunately, the mud from the landslide caused some difficulties in rescuing the victims. Consequently, they could not recover all the bodies. On February 2, the coltan mine operated again.

This coltan mine collapse seemed to increase the conflict between the M23 rebel group and the DRC government. The latter accused the former of illegally operating the mine. Meanwhile, the rebel group accused the government of politicizing the landslide.

The recent coltan mine collapse in Congo killed over 400 people. Considering the danger of a landslide, countries with high landslide risks must have a wireless early warning system. Thus, they can effectively warn people and minimize the number of victims. To have this effective wireless alert system, get cell broadcast technology from smsbroadcaster.com.