An artisanal gold mine collapse in the Central African Republic (CAR) has now led to the deaths of more than 100 labourers, as rescue officials recovered additional bodies trapped under the rubble over the past hours. The toll has risen from about 30 labourers to 107, according to Al Jazeera, which cited Red Cross volunteers and local media.
Landslide in Zamboye village near Cameroon border
The landslide occurred in Zamboye, a village in Baboua, located in the west of the country and a few kilometres from eastern Cameroon. Authorities expect the death toll to rise further as several people remain missing or trapped beneath the rubble.
Bertrand Be Yang, a city official, was quoted as saying, “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.”
Cause of the collapse and rescue efforts
It remains unclear what exactly caused the landslide, but the incident has been attributed to the collapse of several underground tunnels that the miners were operating. One of the miners, Cedric Mbango, told the AFP news agency that “the ground completely collapsed and buried people. As I speak to you, other people are still buried.”
Local media in the CAR also reported that the authorities have opened an investigation into what may have caused the landslide. The governor of Cameroon’s East Region, Grégoire Mvongo, reportedly told state media that at least three of the victims are Cameroonian. He said bodies of dead victims were being repatriated home for burial, and those who sustained injuries in Zamboï are receiving medical care.
Government response and history of mine collapses
The CAR government spokesman, Evariste Ngamana, expressed sympathy for the families of the victims. He also said authorities are “working hard to provide relief and assistance” to those affected.
Mine collapses are not rare in the republic. In June, a collapse killed dozens of people at a site on the Cameroon border known as the Be-Mbari gold mining site. A landslide killed seven people at a mine in the village of Ngourroum, west of CAR, in mid-March.
