Three people killed in a helicopter crash in southeastern Congo

Three people were killed in a helicopter crash in southeastern Congo, said local authorities on Tuesday.

The helicopter, owned by a mining corporation, crashed at noon on Monday as it was traveling from one mine to another. It was found in a ravine in the cobalt-rich province of Lualaba, said Guy Sha Hemwa, a local government official in the area.

The victims were subcontractors for the Boss Mining company and included a South African, who was head of the G4S security company, his Polish deputy and the French pilot, he said.

The cause of the crash is not yet known.

The bodies have been taken to a morgue in nearby Lubumbashi city.

The mineral-rich country is the world's largest producer of cobalt, used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Congo is also Africa's top producer of copper, and lithium was recently found there.