About 60 dead in Congo mine accident - radio report

15/08/2012 - 23:54

KINSHASA (Reuters) - About 60 miners died when a shaft in which they were working collapsed in a remote part of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN-backed radio station said on Wednesday.

The miners were 100 meters underground when the accident occurred on Monday in Mambasa territory in Orientale Province, Radio Okapi reported on its website.

Authorities in the Central African nation were not immediately available to comment.

Mining companies AngloGold Ashanti and Randgold operate in the region, which is known to be rich in tin and gold.

Hundreds of thousands of people in eastern Congo make a living in artisanal mines, where safety precautions are almost nonexistent and accidents are common.

(Reporting by Jonny Hogg; Editing by Bate Felix and Toni Reinhold)