KINSHASA: More than 50 people were killed when three small-scale gold mines in the eastern Democratic of Republic Congo collapsed on Friday, officials have confirmed.

A landslide triggered by days of heavy rains in the South Kivu region near to the mines caused the cave-in.
Dozens of people die each year in accidents in largely unregulated artisanal mines in the DRC, where often ill-equipped workers dig for globally sought-after raw materials such as gold, copper and cobalt.

Heavy rain on Thursday and Friday caused the nearby Njali river to burst its banks, sending water and mud down into the mining pit.

(With inputs from agencies)