At least 100 killed in collapse at illegal gold mine in Central African Republic

More than one hundred individuals lost their lives when an artisanal goldmine in a small village in western Central African Republic collapsed due to a landslide. The disaster occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the village of Zamboye, approximately 50km from the town of Baboua and near the Cameroonian border. Social media footage showed a sand avalanche burying the people, believed to be miners, under a deluge.

Local officials and aid workers stated that the death toll is likely to increase as recovery efforts continue, as many were trapped under the landslide. Gervais Ganagoroh, a Red Cross volunteer, reported that over a hundred bodies had been recovered from the site, and a senior mining association official confirmed this number to Reuters.

The incident is believed to have been caused by the collapse of multiple underground tunnels where miners were working. Rescuers are in a race to recover the bodies and locate survivors among the miners, most of whom are citizens of CAR and Cameroon. Authorities from Cameroon’s Eastern region confirmed that at least three of their citizens were among the victims, with the governor stating that they are collaborating closely with their CAR counterparts to manage the aftermath of this tragedy.

The Zamboye youth council member, Bertrand Be Yangué, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of young men and women who came to the mines in hopes of supporting their families. The exact number of people inside the mine during the collapse remains unknown. Despite regulations outlawing such small-scale artisanal mines, they continue to operate due to widespread unemployment, with many miners seeking employment in abandoned or unused sites.

These mines often lack proper safety measures, leading to frequent incidents. This year alone, at least forty people have died in various mining accidents in CAR.