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Dozens Killed After Gold Mine Collapse in Central African Republic
On Tuesday, an artisanal gold mine collapsed in the village of Zamboye near the Cameroon border, with local officials confirming rescue teams recovered 30 bodies from the site.
Artisanal mine collapses are common in the Central African Republic, where thousands of small-scale extraction sites operate outside government control without adequate protective equipment.
Miner Cedric Mbango described the incident as "catastrophic," noting "the ground completely collapsed and buried people," while Nana-Mambere deputy mayor Souleymane Bi said "it is horrible."
Government spokesman Evariste Ngamana said authorities are "working hard to provide relief and assistance," though Baboua local official Laurent Ngon Baba noted difficulty establishing a formal death toll.
Recent disasters include a June collapse at Be-Mbari that killed dozens, a March landslide in Ngourroum that killed seven, and another 20 deaths at a mine in Gordi earlier this year.
A landslide occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 18, at a gold mining site in Zamboi, near Garoua-Boulaï, on the border between Cameroon and the Central African Republic. According to local authorities, 107 victims have already been pulled from the mud. The search continues, and the death toll could rise.
The slide that happened in Zamboye was described by the vice-president of the region's chamber as "predictable" because artisanal miners " dig deep wells to extract gold".