Central African Republic Goldmine Collapse: Death Toll Rises to 100

Bangui: A devastating landslide has claimed more than 100 lives after triggering the collapse of an artisanal goldmine in a remote village in western Central African Republic, local officials and relief workers confirmed.

The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon in Zamboye, a village situated around 50km from Baboua town, close to the Cameroon border. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a surge of sand sweeping over a group presumed to be miners working at the site.

Red Cross volunteer Gervais Ganagoroh, who is part of the ongoing relief operation, told the Associated Press that rescue teams had already pulled more than 100 bodies from the wreckage — a figure a senior local mining association official also confirmed to Reuters.

Local media outlets reported that an official investigation into the disaster is now underway. A prosecutor from Baboua indicated that the collapse likely originated from the caving in of multiple underground tunnels where miners had been active.

Rescue crews remain engaged in the effort to recover bodies and search for survivors, with those caught in the collapse believed to include nationals from both the Central African Republic and neighbouring Cameroon. Officials in Cameroon's Eastern region confirmed that at least three Cameroonian citizens have so far been identified among the deceased. Regional governor Gregoire Mvongo said on state radio that he was working closely with Central African authorities to manage the fallout from the tragedy.

Corbeau News, a Central African news website, reported that heavy machinery such as tractors was being used in the retrieval operation — raising concerns that such equipment could endanger any survivors still trapped beneath the debris. The total number of people who were inside the mine at the time of the collapse remains unclear.