ALBAWABA – A bridge collapse at a copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo has left at least 32 people dead, according to a regional government official.
Provincial Interior Minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde stated: “Despite a strict ban on entering the site due to heavy rains and the risk of landslides, illegal diggers forcibly entered the mine.”
He said the overcrowding caused the unstable makeshift bridge to give way, plunging people into a flooded ditch.
Mayonde added that an investigation has been launched to determine responsibility for the accident.
Other sources report that the death toll could be as high as 70, with many miners still missing and believed to be trapped under debris as rescue operations continue.