At least 32 people were killed when an overcrowded bridge at a copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo collapsed, a regional government official said Sunday.

Axar.az informs, citing Anadolu Agency, speaking to reporters, Provincial Interior Minister Roy Kaumba Mayonde attributed Saturday’s accident to the “hasty crossing of the diggers,” which he said caused the makeshift bridge to collapse into a flooded ditch.

Mayonde said an investigation has been launched to determine those responsible for the tragedy.

“Despite a strict ban on entering the site due to heavy rains and the risk of landslides, illegal diggers forcibly entered the mine,” he said.

Local media reports earlier said that as many as 70 people died in the incident at the Kalando mine in Mulondo in Lualaba province.

Many workers are also said to be trapped under the rubble as search and rescue operations continue.