200 people dead after landslide at coltan mining site

Miners working at the Gakombe coltan mining quarry in Rubaya, DR of Congo (Moses Sawasawa/AP)

At least 200 people were killed earlier this week when a landslide collapsed several mines at a major coltan mining site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, rebel authorities said on Saturday.

The collapse took place on Wednesday at the Rubaya mines, which are controlled by the M23 rebels, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, the spokesperson of the rebel-appointed governor of North-Kivu province told The Associated Press. He said the landslide was caused by heavy rains.