• At least 32 miners dead after bridge collapse at Kalando mine in DR Congo.
• Overcrowding and military gunfire sparked panic, causing the collapse.
• Officials report ongoing safety concerns within the unregulated mining industry.

At least 32 people were killed when a makeshift bridge at a copper and cobalt mine in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo collapsed due to overcrowding. The incident occurred at the Kalando mine in Mulondo, Lualaba province, according to regional interior minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde, who attributed the tragedy to illegal diggers forcing their way into the site despite a ban related to heavy rainfall and landslide risks. While officials confirmed 32 deaths, reports indicate that the toll could be higher, with estimates reaching up to 40 fatalities, according to aa and Al Jazeera.

Problems at the mine escalated when soldiers guarding the area fired warning shots, triggering panic among miners who rushed to cross the overloaded bridge, which ultimately gave way. The military's involvement and the ensuing chaos were documented by the Congo's Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service (SAEMAPE), highlighting ongoing tensions between unauthorized miners and military presence at the site, as reported by India Times, Africanews, and South China Morning Post.

This incident underscores the hazardous conditions prevalent in the DRC's artisanal mining sector, where around 1.5 to 2 million workers engage under perilous circumstances. Longstanding issues such as child labor, unsafe working environments, and regulatory shortcomings continue to plague the industry. Local authorities have been urged to provide support and training for miners in safer employment areas as a preventative measure against future incidents, according to BBC and aa.