In the rain-soaked depths of southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a makeshift bridge at the Kalando artisanal cobalt mine turned into a tomb on November 15, 2025. At least 32 wildcat miners—desperate souls scavenging for scraps of the mineral that powers the world’s electric vehicles (EVs)—plummeted to their deaths when the overloaded structure collapsed into a flooded trench. Rescue teams, battling treacherous mud and debris, have pulled out the grim tally so far, but officials warn the death count could climb as high as 49, with dozens still missing amid the chaos.

The disaster unfolded at the Mulondo site’s Kalando quarry, roughly 40 kilometers southeast of Kolwezi in Lualaba province. Heavy seasonal rains had turned the area into a slippery deathtrap, prompting provincial authorities to issue a strict ban on entry due to landslide risks. Yet, over 10,000 informal miners, driven by poverty and the lure of cobalt’s meager $1-2 daily wage, defied the order. What ignited the fatal rush? Gunfire from security forces guarding the site—long a flashpoint between artisanal diggers, cooperatives, and industrial operators—sparked widespread panic. In the ensuing stampede, hundreds surged across the flimsy, miner-built bridge spanning a waterlogged gully. The structure, pieced together with scavenged wood and rebar, buckled under the weight, sending victims tumbling into a tangled heap below, where they suffocated or drowned in the muck.

Lualaba’s Interior Minister, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, addressed the horror in a somber press conference on November 16, blaming the miners’ “reckless haste” for the bridge’s failure while sidestepping deeper questions about the soldiers’ role. The DRC’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support agency (SAEMAPE) painted a bleaker picture, attributing the panic directly to the gunfire and estimating up to 40 fatalities, with 20 survivors hospitalized in critical condition. Provincial operations at Kalando were swiftly suspended, but with artisanal mining fueling livelihoods for over 200,000 in the DRC—many in unregulated pits riddled with child labor, toxic exposure, and structural perils—the shutdown feels like a temporary bandage on a gaping wound.

This isn’t an isolated tragedy. The DRC, holding over 70% of global cobalt reserves, extracts the “blue gold” essential for lithium-ion batteries in EVs, smartphones, and laptops—minerals that propelled a $13 billion industry in 2024 alone. Chinese firms dominate 80% of production, often blending artisanal hauls with industrial output through shadowy supply chains that evade traceability. Artisanal sites like Kalando epitomize the sector’s dark underbelly: makeshift tunnels collapse weekly, killing dozens; children as young as six sift toxic sludge for pennies; and violence flares between miners and guards. Just months ago, a Kolwezi pit failure claimed 43 lives, echoing the 2019 Kasulo dam burst that buried 132 miners alive. Human rights groups like the Initiative for the Protection of Human Rights now demand an independent probe into the military’s involvement, decrying a system where profit trumps protection.

As the world races toward net-zero emissions—EVs sales surging 35% in 2025—the blood on these batteries stains far beyond Congo’s borders. Tech giants like Apple and Tesla face lawsuits for complicity in this exploitation, yet reforms lag: the DRC’s 2019 General Cobalt Company (EGC) aims to formalize artisanal ops, but corruption and underfunding hobble progress. Experts urge blockchain tracing, fair wages, and safety gear mandates, but without global pressure, more bridges will fall—and more lives with them.

In Kalando’s shadowed pits, the echo of those final screams serves as a stark indictment: our green future shouldn’t be built on unmarked graves. Until supply chains prioritize people over power packs, Congo’s cobalt curse endures.