More than 100 people have reportedly died after an artisanal gold mine collapsed following a landslide in the western Central African Republic (CAR).
The incident occurred on Wednesday in the village of Zamboye, about 50 kilometres from the town of Baboua and near the border with Cameroon.
Footage circulating on social media showed a large amount of earth and sand collapsing onto an area where miners were reportedly working, leaving several people buried beneath the debris.
A local public prosecutor confirmed that several miners remained trapped underground, saying the disaster was caused by the collapse of multiple underground tunnels where workers were operating.
A Red Cross volunteer involved in the rescue operation and a senior official with a local mining association both said more than 100 bodies had been recovered.
One of the miners at the site, Cedric Mbango, described the incident as catastrophic.
“The ground completely collapsed and buried people. It was catastrophic,” he said.
Rescue teams are continuing their efforts to recover the victims and search for possible survivors trapped beneath the collapsed mine.
The miners are believed to have included nationals of both the Central African Republic and neighbouring Cameroon. Authorities in Cameroon’s Eastern Region confirmed that some of its citizens were among those who died.
Regional Governor Grégoire Mvongo said Cameroonian officials were working closely with authorities in the Central African Republic to respond to the disaster and assist with the aftermath.
Bertrand Be Yangué, a member of the Zamboye youth council, said the community was devastated by the loss of lives.
“Finding them alive would be a miracle. We are saddened and heartbroken to see young men and women perish after coming to the mines to save their families from despair,” he said.
Heavy machinery has reportedly been deployed to assist with the recovery operation. However, local reports indicate that using the equipment could pose additional risks to anyone who may still be alive beneath the collapsed earth.
The exact number of miners who were underground when the collapse occurred remains unknown.
Artisanal and small-scale mining is common across the Central African Republic, where many people depend on the sector for income amid high unemployment. The operations are often carried out with limited regulation and inadequate safety measures, increasing the risk of deadly accidents.
The latest disaster adds to a series of fatal mining incidents reported in the country, with rescue workers continuing to search the site for survivors and recover the bodies of those trapped underground.