In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 32 people were killed after a bridge at a copper and cobalt mine collapsed due to overcrowding. Officials said the incident happened on Saturday in southeastern Lualaba province, when wildcat miners entered the site despite ban due to heavy rain and the risk of a landslide. The rush of the miners across the makeshift bridge caused it to collapse. A report by the DRC’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service said the gunfire from soldiers at the site had sparked panic among the miners. 

 

Meanwhile, the Initiative for the Protection of Human Rights, called for an independent investigation into the military’s role in the deaths, citing reports of clashes between miners and soldiers.