Bukavu, Congo: At least 32 people were killed when a bridge collapsed at a copper and cobalt mine in southeastern Congo, a regional official said Sunday.

The incident occurred at the Kalando mine in Mulondo, Lualaba province. Provincial interior minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde said the bridge gave way under overcrowding. He noted that “Despite the strict prohibition on accessing the site due to heavy rainfall and the risk of landslides, illegal diggers forced their way into the quarry.”

A report by Congo’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service (SAEMAPE) said gunfire from soldiers at the site triggered panic among miners rushing across the bridge, resulting in a deadly collapse that left victims “piled on top of each other, causing the deaths and injuries.” While Mayonde reported at least 32 deaths, SAEMAPE estimated the toll at no fewer than 40.

The report said the presence of soldiers had long been a point of contention between wildcat miners, a local cooperative overseeing operations and the mine’s legal operators.

Congo is the world’s top producer of cobalt, essential for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and electronics. Chinese companies control about 80 per cent of the country’s cobalt output. The industry has faced longstanding allegations of child labour, unsafe working conditions and corruption.

Eastern Congo, rich in minerals, continues to suffer from chronic violence involving government forces and armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23, whose renewed offensive has deepened an already severe humanitarian crisis.