Over 100 Dead After Gold Mine Collapse In Central African Republic Near Cameroon
More than 100 people have died after an artisanal gold mine collapsed in the Central African Republic, with rescuers continuing to search for miners trapped beneath the rubble following the disaster near the Cameroon border.
The collapse occurred on Tuesday, August 18, at a mining site in Zamboye village, in the Nana-Mambere prefecture of western Central African Republic. The site is a few kilometres from Garoua-Boulai, a town in eastern Cameroon.
The disaster was reportedly triggered when several underground tunnels collapsed, causing a landslide that swept through the mining area. Hundreds of artisanal miners are believed to work at the site.
On Wednesday, rescuers and local residents recovered 30 bodies from the collapsed mine over several hours, according to Nana-Mambere deputy mayor Souleymane Bi. He said injured miners were receiving treatment and appealed for assistance from organisations and others willing to help.
“It is horrible,” Bi said, as recovery operations continued at the site.
The exact death toll remains difficult to establish. Local official Laurent Ngon Baba said earlier that around 40 people had died, while other local sources put the number at around 100. Subsequent recovery efforts pushed the reported toll above 100.
A miner at the site, Cedric Mbango, described the collapse as “catastrophic”, saying the ground had completely given way and buried people. He said some miners remained trapped as rescue attempts continued.
At least four of those killed were Cameroonian, according to reports, underlining the cross-border nature of the mining activity. Cameroonian authorities said they were working with Central African officials to respond to the disaster.
The Central African Republic government has offered condolences to victims' families and said authorities were working to provide assistance. A judicial investigation has also been opened to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine whether anyone should be held responsible.
The tragedy has renewed concerns about the dangers of informal and unregulated mining in the Central African Republic. Thousands of people depend on small-scale mining for their livelihoods, but many operations lack adequate safety measures and operate outside effective state oversight.
The latest collapse is part of a series of deadly mining accidents in the country this year. In June, a mine collapse at the Be-Mbari gold site near the Cameroon border killed dozens of people. In March, seven people were killed in a landslide at a mine in Ngourroum in western Central African Republic. Another mining accident in Gordi, in the northeast, claimed 20 lives in February.
The repeated disasters have intensified scrutiny of mining safety and the conditions faced by workers who turn to dangerous informal operations amid limited economic opportunities.