A landslide triggered the collapse of an artisanal goldmine in the village of Zamboye, western Central African Republic (CAR), leaving over 100 people dead.
The incident occurred near the Cameroonian border, roughly 50 kilometres from the town of Baboua. Social media footage captured an avalanche of sand descending upon and burying a group of workers at the site.
Local public prosecutors confirmed that a high number of individuals remain trapped beneath the rubble. Red Cross volunteer Gervais Ganagoroh stated that relief teams recovered over 100 bodies from the debris, a figure also corroborated by a senior official at a local mining association.
Authorities launched an official investigation into the disaster. A prosecutor from Baboua stated that the incident stems from “the collapse of several underground tunnels in which miners were operating.”
Witnesses described the rapid destruction at the site. Cedric Mbango, a miner who survived the collapse, stated, “The ground completely collapsed and buried people.”
Rescue teams continue searching the location for survivors and retrieving bodies. The miners operating in the shafts included citizens from both the CAR and neighbouring Cameroon. Regional officials in eastern Cameroon identified at least three Cameroonian nationals among the deceased.
Grégoire Mvongo, governor of the eastern region of Cameroon, stated that he is “Working in close collaboration with our Central African colleagues to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy.”
Local community leaders expressed doubt over finding remaining survivors. Bertrand Be Yangué, a member of the Zamboye youth council, stated that “Finding them alive would be a miracle.” Yangué noted, “We are saddened and heartbroken to see young men and women perish after coming to the mines to save their families from despair.”
Emergency workers deployed heavy machinery, including tractors, to clear the site. Local media outlet Corbeau News reported that the heavy equipment creates additional hazards for any individuals who remain alive beneath the dirt.
Officials have not established the total number of miners present inside the shafts during the initial cave-in.
Unregulated small-scale mining remains widespread across Africa due to high unemployment rates driving workers toward dangerous, unmonitored sites. The lack of safety enforcement regularly leads to fatal cave-ins across the country, where mining incidents have claimed the lives of at least 40 people earlier the same year.
