Dozens killed in Central African Republic gold mine collapse

A landslide at an illegal gold mine in the western Central African Republic has killed several dozen people, with local sources estimating the toll at up to 100. Rescue teams are searching for survivors as authorities struggle to establish the final death toll.

The landslide struck the Zamboye gold mine near the border with Cameroon around midday on Tuesday, causing part of the open-pit site to collapse and bury miners.

A local official estimated that about 40 people had died, while other sources put the toll at around 100. Authorities said the final figure remains unclear as rescue operations continue.

"It is difficult for us to establish a formal toll at this stage," Baboua local official Laurent Ngon Baba told AFP.

Miner Cedric Mbango described the scene as catastrophic, saying people remained trapped underground as rescue efforts got under way.

Accidents plague illegal mining

The latest disaster is one of several deadly mine collapses in the mineral-rich Central African Republic, where many mining operations take place outside state control.

In June, another collapse at the Be-Mbari gold mine, also near the Cameroonian border, killed several dozen people.

Seven people were killed in a landslide at a mine in Ngourroum in March, while another 20 died at a mining site in Gordi in February.

Rescue efforts continue

Video footage circulating on social media showed a section of the huge mining site giving way and burying people in its path. Hundreds of miners are reported to work at the Zamboye site.

Rescue teams remain at the scene searching for those still trapped, while officials are expected to provide a clearer assessment of the casualties once recovery operations advance.