More than 100 people have died after a landslide struck an artisanal gold-mining site in Zamboye, western Central African Republic, near the border with Cameroon. The collapse occurred on Tuesday, August 18, and rescue teams continued recovering bodies from the site on Thursday.

The disaster struck the Nana-Mambéré prefecture, about 50 kilometres from the town of Baboua. Local Red Cross volunteers said more than 100 bodies had been recovered, while several survivors suffered critical injuries. Some miners were still missing or trapped beneath the rubble, raising fears that the death toll could increase.

The incident has again highlighted the dangers facing thousands of people working in informal and poorly regulated mining operations across the Central African Republic.

Mine Collapse Traps Miners

The Zamboye site was an artisanal operation where miners worked with limited technology and safety infrastructure.

Local reports said a large section of the mining area suddenly collapsed, burying miners beneath earth and debris. Video footage from the scene appeared to show a slope giving way while people worked nearby.

The Baboua public prosecutor opened an investigation into the disaster, with authorities seeking to establish the exact cause of the collapse and determine whether any criminal responsibility was involved.

Rescue Teams Recover Bodies

Emergency workers and local volunteers have continued searching the affected area despite difficult conditions.

The local Red Cross has been involved in recovery operations, while survivors were taken to a hospital in Baboua for treatment. The availability of heavy equipment and other rescue resources has remained limited.

Local officials have warned that the final death toll could rise because some miners remain unaccounted for.

Cameroon Nationals Among Dead

The location of the mine close to the Cameroon border means the victims include people from both countries.

Initial reports confirmed that several Cameroonian nationals were among those killed. Later reporting also identified victims from Cameroon and Chad.

The tragedy has prompted cooperation between authorities on both sides of the border. Cameroonian officials have said they are working with their Central African counterparts to respond to the disaster and assess the impact on communities in the border region.

Illegal Mining Raises Risks

Artisanal mining provides an important source of income in parts of the Central African Republic, where unemployment and limited economic opportunities push people towards small-scale gold extraction.

However, many operations function outside formal regulatory structures and lack basic safeguards. Workers can face unstable ground, poorly supported tunnels and inadequate emergency arrangements.

The latest disaster has renewed calls for stronger oversight and safer working conditions in the country's mining sector.

Landslides Hit Mining Sites

The Zamboye collapse is not an isolated incident in the Central African Republic.

Several mining accidents have been reported in the country this year. A mine collapse in June killed several people at the Be-Mbari gold-mining site near the Cameroon border, while a landslide in March killed seven people at a mine in Ngourroum. Another accident in Gordi killed 20 people in February, according to AFP.

The repeated accidents demonstrate the continuing safety challenges associated with informal mining.

Investigation Underway

Authorities have begun examining how the Zamboye collapse occurred.

Initial reports from the Baboua prosecutor said several underground tunnels may have collapsed and triggered the landslide. Other accounts have pointed to the unstable conditions at the mining site, but investigators have yet to establish a definitive cause.

The inquiry is expected to examine the operation of the mine, safety conditions and possible violations of mining regulations.

Death Toll Could Rise

Recovery operations remain underway as authorities and volunteers search for people still trapped beneath the debris.

The latest reports put the death toll at more than 100, but officials have cautioned that a final figure has not yet been established. The scale of the disaster and the difficulty of accessing parts of the site have complicated the recovery effort.

For the Central African Republic, the gold mine collapse has become another stark reminder of the human cost of unsafe artisanal mining and the need for stronger regulation, emergency preparedness and protection for workers in the country's gold-producing regions.