At least 32 killed in southeastern Congo after bridge at mine collapsed, authorities say
Bukavu (AP): A bridge at a mine in southeastern Congo collapsed due to overcrowding, killing at least 32 people, a regional government official said Sunday.
The bridge at the Kalando mine in Mulondo in Lualaba province fell on Saturday, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the province's interior minister, said during a press conference.
“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 said.
A report by the Congo's Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service, or SAEMAPE, government agency on Sunday said the gunfire from soldiers at the site sparked panic among the miners who rushed to the bridge resulting in the fall that left them “piled on top of each other causing the deaths and injuries.” While Mayonde put the death toll at at least 32, the report said at least 40 people had lost their lives.
The mine has long been at the center of a dispute between wildcat miners, a cooperative meant to organise operations, and the site's legal operators, the report added.
Congo is the world's largest producer of cobalt, a mineral used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and other products, with Chinese companies controlling 80 per cent of the production in the central African country.
Accusations of child labour, unsafe conditions, and corruption have long plagued the country's mining industry.
Mineral-rich eastern Congo has for decades been ripped apart by violence from government forces and different armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23, whose recent resurgence has escalated the conflict, worsening an already acute humanitarian crisis.
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Delhi Police busts LPG black marketing racket in Bawana, 75 cylinders seized; 1 held
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Police has busted an LPG cylinder hoarding and black marketing racket in the Bawana area, an officer said on Friday.
A 50-year-old man, identified as Anil, has been arrested and 75 cylinders seized, he said.
The accused was apprehended following a tip-off about the illegal storage and transportation of LPG cylinders in the industrial area.
Acting on the input, a police team laid a picket near District Park in Bawana on Thursday evening. Around 4 pm, a pickup truck was intercepted and checked, leading to the recovery of 27 LPG cylinders, including both domestic and commercial units.
"When questioned, the accused failed to produce any valid documents, including a licence, permit, stock register or proof of ownership for the cylinders," the officer said.
During interrogation, Anil revealed that more cylinders were stored at nearby premises. Based on his disclosure, police raided two rooms and an iron shed near a factory in the area.
"A total of 48 additional cylinders were recovered, taking the overall seizure to 75. The cylinders were stored without safety measures or legal authorisation, posing a serious risk," the officer said.
Disruptions in maritime supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Israel and Iran conflict have caused an LPG crisis in India.
