More than 200 people, including 70 children, have been killed after a landslide caused a collapse in a mining area in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government says.
The landslide struck Rubaya, the country's biggest source of coltan - an ore vital in the electronics industry - in the rebel-controlled east on Tuesday following heavy rains.
In a statement, the mines ministry blamed the tragedy on M23 rebels and said they were allowing illegal mining without proper safety standards.
The M23 are yet to comment but a source in Rubaya told the BBC the collapse was caused by attacks from government forces and only six had died. The government has not responded to the claim.
The mines in Rubaya are thought to hold about 15% of the world's coltan supply and half of the DR Congo's total deposits.
