Gold Miners Feared Dead in Congo After Landslide

A landslide at an informal gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo where thousands of people were working has left an unknown number of people trapped underground since Sunday.

An official with the armed group that controls the area in eastern Congo where the mining accident occurred confirmed the landslide in a phone call on Tuesday. The official, Élie Rubabura, said that a team was searching for people in 14 shafts at the site in Lomera.

While thousands of miners have been digging in Lomera in recent months, the number of miners who were in the shafts on Sunday is not known. Twelve people have been rescued, Mr. Rubabura said, adding that the number of missing would be released only once the search was over.

The Lomera site is an artisanal mine, meaning it is not operated by a mining company with professional equipment but by workers who use basic tools to extract ore, often in dangerous conditions.

Official information on any casualties and exactly how many people are missing has been difficult to confirm. Lomera is in territory controlled by M23, a militia backed by neighboring Rwanda. After the landslide, M23 shut down all mining and trading in Lomera until further notice, prompting many people to leave the village.

On Tuesday, M23 members walked around the site issuing instructions to those who remained, telling them not to film or speak to journalists. There was no sign that a serious search for survivors was underway.