Over 100 feared killed as bridge collapses at Kalando mine, DR Congo
A makeshift bridge collapsed at the Kalando copper-cobalt mine near Kolwezi in Lualaba province on November 15, 2025, killing at least 32 people, provincial authorities said. Unofficial reports mention over 70 and up to 130 killed.
View of a mineral extraction site near Rubaya in Masisi, North Kivu, November 25, 2020. Credit: Radio Okapi/Denise Lukesso.
A makeshift bridge at the Kalando copper-cobalt mine in the Kolwezi area collapsed on November 15 after becoming overcrowded, killing at least 32 people, provincial authorities said.
Provincial interior minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde confirmed that 32 bodies had been recovered. The national artisanal-mining agency SAEMAPE reported an estimate of around 40 deaths, according to Associated Press.
A separate report cited by Reuters quoted an agency official stating 49 fatalities, while some media outlets reported up to 70 and over 130. These higher figures have not been independently verified.
According to provincial officials and SAEMAPE, soldiers deployed to secure the off-limits site fired shots, causing panic among hundreds of artisanal miners who had entered the area despite a ban imposed because of heavy rainfall and landslide risk.
The miners rushed onto a narrow bridge spanning a rain-filled trench, causing it to collapse. Recovery teams have been working at the site to retrieve bodies and assist survivors. Recovered survivors have been transferred to local hospitals for urgent care.
The Kalando mine, located near Kolwezi in southeastern Lualaba province, is part of the region’s copper-cobalt belt.
Although semi-industrial, the site is frequently used by artisanal miners operating informally. Authorities had designated the area off-limits due to recent heavy rains and unstable ground, but hundreds of artisanal miners continued to enter the site.
An investigation has been opened to determine the structural condition of the bridge, the circumstances that led to the panic, and whether access restrictions were enforced. Civil-society groups called for an independent inquiry into the role of security forces and the conditions at artisanal mining sites.
Artisanal and small-scale mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo involves an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people and supports more than 10 million indirectly.
Reports from national authorities and international organizations have documented recurring safety issues at informal sites, including the use of improvised infrastructure and frequent access to restricted zones during periods of heavy rainfall.
Officials said casualty figures could change as recovery operations continue and as data from different agencies are consolidated. Verification of the highest reported totals is still pending.
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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