At least eight people were crushed and nine seriously injured in a landslide near an artisanal mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, local officials told Reuters on Saturday.
The injured are in critical condition and are being treated at a local medical facility, Aime Kawaya Mutipula, administrator of the Fiji Territory in South Kivu, said by phone.
Mudslides are relatively common in the foothills of eastern Congo, where heavy rains can saturate and loosen the soil. However, they are more likely to occur if the soil is disturbed by mining, logging, or construction.
In December, heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, killing about 170 people.
