DRC Minister Survives Fiery Jet Accident While Responding to Deadly Mine Collapse

Though the scene was chaotic, passengers scrambling over one another as the tail section ignited, there were no fatalities. The jet itself, however, was completely destroyed in the fire.

It is fortunate that the crew and passengers survived, but the region was not spared from tragedy. Minister Louis Watum Kabama and the officials on board had been en route to respond to a deadly bridge collapse at the Kalondo mine in Mulondo, in Lualaba province, where more than two dozen people lost their lives. The collapse was reportedly caused by overcrowding; according to provincial Interior Minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde, illegal diggers had forced their way into the quarry despite restrictions and dangerous weather conditions.

Moments before the collapse, gunshots sparked confusion and triggered a rush of miners onto the bridge. Tensions had been ongoing between a miner cooperative known as the “wildcat miners” and the legal operator of the site. While the cooperative seeks to organize mining activity, the region has long faced allegations involving child labor, unsafe working conditions, and corruption.

As the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a critical mineral for global supply chains, the DRC has seen intense competition among various forces and factions for control of mining areas. In recent years, the resurgence of the Rwanda-backed M23 movement has further escalated conflict in an already contested region, adding additional layers of instability to an industry central to the nation’s economy and the global tech ecosystem.