Landslide at DRC Gold Mines Kills 24 people

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A report by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) states that at least two dozen people were killed in a landslide at a gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The toll could rise, as the rescue works are still in progress.

The incident took place between 5.30 PM and 6PM Saturday at the Ndiyo gold mine, located 40 kilometres from the town of Watsa in the northeastern Ituri province. Two miners were rescued alive. The torrential rains in the region for several days are being cited as the reason for the landslide.

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According to Dieudonne Apasa, provincial minister for mining, the rescue teams are still on the ground, continuing their search. 24 bodies have already been pulled out of the site. The continuous rains in the region for several days had softened the terrain, which started to crumble, the minister said.

The country had reported a similar accident in a makeshift mine at Maniema in October this year, which had led to killing of 31 people. Also, landslides caused by heavy rains had led to death of almost 41 mineworkers in the capital Kinshasa last month.

AFP noted that mine accidents in the country are very much common and are usually under-reported.