KIGALI, Rwanda

More than 40 people are believed to have been killed after a diamond mine collapsed in the central Democratic Republic of the Congo, authorities said on Thursday.

The incident happened late Tuesday in Samba, a town in the province of Kasai, according to Alain Tshisungu Ntumba, the provincial interior minister.

Ntumba said the victims were all artisanal diamond diggers who were working in underground wells, local news outlet Mediacongo reported.

More than 40 wells, ranging in depth from 15 meters to 18 meters, were affected, he added.

Emphasizing that the death toll remains unconfirmed, the minister said six bodies have been pulled out and efforts are on to find the others.

According to local media reports, authorities had stopped operations at the mine owing to safety concerns due to the soil structure, but the miners violated the order.