More than 100 artisanal miners have been killed after a gold mine collapsed in western Central African Republic (CAR) near the border with Cameroon. The collapse occurred on Tuesday, August 18, in the village of Zamboye, approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the Central African town of Baboua and just a few kilometers from Garoua-Boulai in eastern Cameroon.
Collapse and Casualties
Video footage shows miners running for their lives as the cave-in occurred, burying several of them. Gervais Ganagoroh, a Red Cross volunteer involved in the relief effort, told the Associated Press news agency on Wednesday, August 19, that more than 100 bodies had been recovered from the collapse. A senior official at a local mining association also told Reuters that the cave-in had claimed more than 100 lives, a toll confirmed by other local sources to AFP.
The death toll is expected to rise, with several people still missing or trapped beneath the rubble, according to city official Bertrand Be Yangue. “Finding them alive would be a miracle,” Yangue said. “We are saddened and heartbroken to see young men and women perish after coming to the mines to save their families from despair.”
Official Response and Rescue Efforts
Souleymane Bi, the deputy mayor of Nana-Mambere prefecture in the Central African Republic, said: “It is horrible … And we are calling for help from organisations and all people of goodwill to help.” The landslide is believed to have been caused by “the collapse of several underground tunnels in which miners were operating,” the Baboua public prosecutor said in a statement, announcing that a judicial inquiry had been opened.
“At this stage, it’s difficult for us to establish a formal toll,” Baboua local official Laurent Ngon Baba told AFP earlier on Wednesday. Cedric Mbango, a miner at the site, described the incident as “catastrophic.” “The ground completely collapsed and buried people. As I speak to you, other people are still buried. Rescue attempts are under way,” he told AFP.
Regional Collaboration and Aftermath
Gregoire Mvongo, governor of the eastern Cameroonian region, said on public CRTV radio that they were “working in close collaboration with our Central African colleagues to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy.” The collapse highlights the dangers faced by artisanal miners in the region, where unregulated mining operations often lack safety measures. Rescue efforts continue, with local authorities and international organizations coordinating to recover bodies and search for survivors.
