Central African Republic mine collapse leaves dozens dead as rescuers search for survivors
A landslide at an artisanal gold mine in western Central African Republic has killed dozens of people, with rescuers continuing to search for miners believed to be trapped underground.
The collapse struck on Tuesday, August 18, at Zamboi, around 50 kilometres from Baboua in Nana-Mambere prefecture, near the border with Cameroon. While local officials and rescue workers reported that more than 100 bodies had been recovered, Mines and Geology Minister Ruffin Benam Beltoungou said 49 deaths had been confirmed as of Thursday. Footage shows officials inspecting the mine site as villagers and families gathered nearby, with some bodies reportedly taken across the border to Cameroon. The dead included Central African, Cameroonian and Chadian miners.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the collapse near the Kadey River, while local leaders said miners had repeatedly been warned about the dangers of working during the rainy season. They said economic hardship had pushed some workers to continue mining despite the risks. Artisanal gold mining supports thousands of people in mineral-rich parts of Central African Republic, where miners often work in hand-dug pits and tunnels with limited safety equipment. The Zamboi disaster follows another fatal landslide at an artisanal mine in Kinyeme in June, which reportedly killed at least eight people.
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