Workers are seen at a coltan mine in Rubaya, Congo, in March 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

A spokesperson of the rebel-appointed governor of North-Kivu province said the landslide was caused by heavy rains. Among the more than 200 fatalities, many remain buried in the mud and have not yet been recovered. Many others were injured and taken to three medical facilities in the town of Rubaya, while ambulances were expected to transfer the wounded to Goma, the nearest city around 50 kilometers away.

Rubaya lies in the heart of eastern Congo, a mineral-rich region of this Central African nation that has been ravaged for decades by violence between government forces and various armed groups, including the Rwandan-backed M23. The recent resurgence of the M23 has escalated the conflict, exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis.