YAOUNDE / ISTANBUL

At least 32 people were killed when an overcrowded bridge at a copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo collapsed, a regional government official said Sunday.

Speaking to reporters, Provincial Interior Minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde attributed Saturday’s accident to the “hasty crossing of the diggers,” which he said caused the makeshift bridge to collapse into a flooded ditch.

Mayonde said an investigation has been launched to determine those responsible for the tragedy.

“Despite a strict ban on entering the site due to heavy rains and the risk of landslides, illegal diggers forcibly entered the mine,” he said.

Local media reports earlier said that as many as 70 people died in the incident at the Kalando mine in Mulondo in Lualaba province.

A video circulating online shot from afar showed a large part of the mine collapsing, with those present at the site escaping the danger in panic.

Many workers are also said to be trapped under the rubble as search and rescue operations continue.

Mining accidents are common in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to unregulated mines, safety deficiencies and inadequate infrastructure.