More than 100 people have died after a landslide caused an artisanal goldmine to cave in at the village of Zamboye in western Central African Republic on Tuesday afternoon, according to local officials and aid workers who spoke on Wednesday.
More than 100 dead after artisanal goldmine collapse in Central African Republic
More than 100 people have died after a landslide caused an artisanal goldmine to cave in at the village of Zamboye in western Central African Republic on Tuesday afternoon, according to local officials and aid workers who spoke on Wednesday.
Zamboye lies approximately 50 kilometres from the town of Baboua, close to the border with Cameroon. Social media footage appeared to show an avalanche of sand descending on a group of people, likely miners, and covering them.
A statement by a local public prosecutor confirmed that many people were trapped under the debris but did not specify a death toll. Gervais Ganagoroh, a Red Cross volunteer involved in the relief effort, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that more than 100 bodies had been recovered; a senior official at a local mining association confirmed that figure to Reuters.
A second prosecutor from Baboua told the press that the incident is believed to have been caused by 'the collapse of several underground tunnels in which miners were operating.' Local media in CAR reported that authorities had launched an investigation.
Rescuers were working to retrieve bodies and search for survivors among miners believed to be nationals of CAR and Cameroon. Cameroon's Eastern region authorities said at least three Cameroonian citizens had been identified as victims. Corbeau News, a Central African news website, reported that heavy machinery including tractors was being used in the retrieval mission. At least 40 people have died in several separate mining incidents in CAR this year, according to the source.
- The source does not state the total number of people who were in the mine at the time of the cave-in.
- The source does not identify the senior official at the local mining association who confirmed the death toll to Reuters.
- The source does not state whether the Central African Republic's national government has issued an official response or statement.
- The source does not detail what specific regulations govern artisanal mining in CAR or their enforcement status at this site.
- The source does not state the current number of confirmed survivors rescued from the site.
Read the original at The Guardian