An official in the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo has announced that at least 14 people have been killed after an illegal mine collapsed.
The official, Steve Mbikayi, who is a government minister, said three people had been taken to the hospital for serious injuries and added that search efforts were still in progress.
The collapse happened at an illegal mine in the town of Kampene, in the Maniema province at about 13:00 GMT on Wednesday.
It is reported that dozens of people, women and children inclusive, were present at the site when the collapse occurred.
DR Congo, whose informal mining sector is known for very low safety standards, has a high occurrence of accidents.
Back in June, a copper and cobalt mine collapsed in DR Congo’s Lualaba province, leading to the death of dozens of miners.
Although DR Congo is one of the richest countries in terms of natural resources largely due to its huge reserves of cobalt, copper, diamond, and gold, its population is sadly one of the poorest in Africa.
Efforts made in the past to crack down on illegal mining activities have unfortunately been fruitless.