Over 100 Killed As Gold Mine Collapses In Central African Republic, Site Shut

The Central African Republic has shut the Zamboye gold mine after a landslide killed more than 100 people at the site near the Cameroon border. The government said the mine had failed to follow safety rules and official orders.

The collapse happened on August 18 in Zamboye village, in the Nana Mambéré prefecture. The site is about 50 kilometres from Baboua. Several underground tunnels gave way, sending earth and mud into the mining area.

Local officials and Red Cross workers said more than 100 people died. Several others were badly injured, while more miners may still be buried. Earlier, the government had confirmed 49 deaths: 34 Central Africans, 13 Cameroonians and two Chadians. The different figures reflect the difficulty of recovering and counting victims at the site.

Rescue workers have continued pulling bodies from the mine. More than 10 bodies were recovered in one morning, according to a local Red Cross volunteer. But the search has been slowed by a lack of equipment and trained rescuers. One miner said the rescue effort was simply not enough for a disaster of this size.

The mine had already been ordered closed before the accident, but illegal miners continued working there. Mines and Geology Minister Ruffin Benam Beltoungou has now ordered the site shut again, citing violations of mining standards and government orders.

A prosecutor has opened an investigation to find out why the tunnels collapsed, identify those responsible for running the site and determine whether anyone could face criminal charges.

The disaster has also raised fresh concerns about unsafe gold mining in the country. Thousands depend on small scale mining, often working in deep pits with little protection. Heavy rain may have added to the danger at Zamboye, while the area has seen a rapid rise in gold mining in recent years.

Another mine collapse in the same region in June killed at least eight people and left more than a dozen missing, showing that the risks are not new.

The final death toll from the Zamboye disaster is still not known as recovery work continues.