Tens of thousands of informal miners operate in and around large industrial mines in Congo.

Industrial mines have long been accused of depriving indigenous people of land, polluting their homes and breeding crime.

Twelve industrial mines were being operated at the end of 2018, with four more due to open in the near future.

Deadly accidents are common in Congo's mostly unregulated artisanal mining sector, where diggers use rudimentary tools, but far rarer at its large industrial mines.

Tens of thousands of people in Congo's southeast depend on small-scale mining to support their families and often operate within the perimeters of industrial mines.

The industrial mines produced 46.272 tonnes and the artisanal miners produced four tonnes, bringing total output to 50.272 tonnes, he told Reuters.