Four people were confirmed dead on Friday and dozens more were missing after a copper mine collapsed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
About 50 workers are believed to have been in the mine at the time of the accident, French-language radio station RFI reported, adding that 13 are known to have survived.
The mining operation in question is believed to have been owned by a South African firm, RFI said.
Copper is one of resource-rich DRC’s most sought-after raw materials. Watchdog organisations say, however, that the mining sector in the country employs many children, and that much of the ore is illegally transported across the border to Zambia, depriving the DRC government of much needed tax income. — Sapa-dpa