Up to 500 people are trapped in a mine in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo following a series of landslides, local police announced on Tuesday.
Part of the mine, which is located in South Kivu province, collapsed on Sunday, trapping hundreds of miners. So far, ten bodies have been recovered.
Rescue teams and volunteers continue to search for other victims and survivors in the remote area of South Kivu.
Since the affected miners were not employed by a company, the exact number of trapped individuals remains unclear.
The victims are part of the substantial informal mining sector in the resource-rich region.
It is also believed that many displaced individuals, who fled violence between government troops and M23 rebels, are trapped in the mine.
