Search operations are ongoing to find those trapped in a water-filled trench at a site in Lualaba Province, a local official has said

At least 32 people have died after a bridge collapsed at a mine in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), local authorities reported on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday at the Kalando copper and cobalt site in Lualaba Province, as a large number of miners tried to cross a makeshift bridge to access the mine, according to the providence's interior minister, Roy Kaumba Mayonde.

"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," Mayonde told reporters.

Several people fell into the "deep" water-filled trench, the minister said, adding that search operations are ongoing to find those trapped. The provincial authorities temporarily suspended operations at the site following the disaster, citing security reasons.

According to a statement by the Congolese government's Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service (SAEMAPE), cited by multiple outlets, gunfire from soldiers at the site sparked panic among the miners. They rushed onto the bridge, which collapsed and left them "piled on top of each other, causing the deaths and injuries," SAEMAPE reportedly stated.

Local officials announced the opening of an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

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Kalando lies in one of the world's most important copper and cobalt belts, where thousands of people work in artisanal pits alongside industrial operations. The Central African country is the world's leading producer of cobalt, a key component in batteries used in most consumer electronics, including mobile phones and electric vehicles.

Deadly accidents are frequent in Congo's informal mining sector, where basic safety equipment and structural support are often reportedly lacking.

In April, at least ten people were killed when shafts collapsed at an artisanal gold mine near Luhihi in South Kivu Province in the country's east. More than 20 miners died in June after a coltan site gave way near Rubaya in North Kivu, a flashpoint of long-running clashes between government forces and armed groups.