100 Buried Alive in Gold Mine Landslide in CAR Near Border With Cameroon
- A landslide struck a gold mining site in Zamboï, western Central African Republic, on Tuesday afternoon, August 18, killing more than 100 people
- Rescue teams are still working at the site, with a miner on the ground saying more people remain buried under the rubble
- At least 3 of the victims are Cameroonian nationals, with a local prosecutor pointing to the collapse of underground tunnels as the likely cause
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering international affairs.
Yaoundé, Cameroon - More than 100 people have been killed after a landslide buried a crowd of workers at a gold mining site in Zamboï, a town in the western part of the Central African Republic (CAR) close to the Cameroon border, on Tuesday afternoon, August 18.
Adamou Abdon, mayor of the Cameroonian border town of Garoua-Boulaï, confirmed the incident to the BBC, saying that "107 lifeless bodies had been removed from the rubble" by the time he spoke. He added that rescue efforts were continuing and that the final death toll could climb higher.
Source: Twitter
Central African Republic goldmine landslide kills 100
Al Jazeera also reported on the tragic occurrence.
Videos that circulated online appear to show a large slope giving way and crashing down onto a group of people at the site, while others scrambled to escape.
A miner present at the scene, Cedric Mbango, described what unfolded to AFP: "The ground completely collapsed and buried people. As I speak to you, other people are still buried."
Among those confirmed dead are at least three Cameroonian citizens. Grégoire Mvongo, the governor of Cameroon's East Region, told state media that the bodies of the Cameroonian victims were being brought back home for burial, while arrangements were being made to treat those who suffered injuries at the site.
Survivors were transported to hospital in Baboua, a town roughly 50 kilometres from the mine, according to AFP.
CAR investigates deadly goldmine landslide
Authorities in the CAR have opened a formal investigation into the cause of the disaster. A statement from the public prosecutor in Baboua, quoted by AFP, said investigators believe "the collapse of several underground tunnels in which miners were operating" triggered the slide.
The region relies heavily on artisanal mining as a primary source of income for many households. The work is largely informal and carried out under dangerous conditions, with miners regularly exposed to serious health and environmental risks. Pits are frequently left unsealed, and heavy rainfall weakens the surrounding soil, making the area prone to exactly this kind of collapse.
Watch a viral X video of the deadly incident in the Central African Republic below:
Read more world news
- UK reports possible Hantavirus case linked to cruise ship on Tristan da Cunha
- Ted Turner, founder of CNN dies at age 87
Ethiopia landslide kills 14
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in Ethiopia’s Amhara region killed 14 people and injured seven others, while an unknown number of people remain unaccounted for as search and rescue efforts continue.
The landslide occurred at Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Monastery, where hundreds of worshippers had gathered for a holy water cleansing ritual that is popular among people seeking spiritual healing for chronic illnesses.
Source: Legit.ng
