Gold mine hit by deadly landslide in CAR near border with Cameroon

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that a landslide at an artisanal gold mining site in Zamboï, in western Central African Republic near the border with Cameroon, has killed more than 100 people. The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon, according to Adamou Abdon, the mayor of the nearby Cameroonian border town of Garoua-Boulaï, who said rescue teams were still searching the rubble. He told the BBC that 107 bodies had been recovered, while the death toll could rise as some people remained trapped.

Video shared online appears to show earth collapsing onto a crowd at the mine as others fled. The exact cause has not been confirmed, but local authorities are reportedly examining whether the collapse of underground tunnels was involved. A miner at the site described the ground giving way and burying people. Survivors have been taken to hospital in Baboua, around 50 kilometres from the mine, and officials in Cameroon said at least three of the dead were Cameroonian nationals.

The disaster highlights the risks of artisanal mining, which is a major source of income in the region but often takes place under unsafe conditions. Pits may be left unsealed and heavy rain can weaken the ground, making collapses and landslides a recurring danger. Authorities in the Central African Republic have reportedly opened an investigation, while the broader cross-border response includes repatriation of bodies and support for injured workers.