Congo Officials Blame Soldier Gunfire for Stampede Before Fatal Bridge Collapse.

A regional government official in Congo, has announced that a bridge at a copper and cobalt mine in southeastern Congo, has killed at least thirty-two people after collapsing due to overcrowding.

Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the province’s interior minister, confirmed the incident during a press conference, disclosing that the bridge at the Kalando mine in Lualaba province has fallen.

A report by the Congo’s Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Support and Guidance Service, said the gunfire from soldiers at the site sparked panic among the miners who rushed to the bridge, resulting in the fall that left them piled on top of each other, causing the deaths and injuries.