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More than 100 people have been killed after a gold mine collapsed in the western Central African Republic (CAR), near the border with Cameroon, according to local sources and Red Cross volunteers.
The collapse occurred on Tuesday at a mine in Jamboye village, about 50 kilometres from Baboua town. The area is located close to Garoua-Boulaï in eastern Cameroon, Al Jazeera reported.
Red Cross volunteer Gervais Ganagoroh told the Associated Press on Wednesday that more than 100 bodies had been recovered from the site.
A senior official of a local mine owners’ association also confirmed the death toll to Reuters, while other local sources gave AFP similar figures.
The toll could rise further, as several people remain missing and others are feared trapped beneath the debris.
The mine collapse was described as a major disaster by local officials. Bertrand Bey Young, a local official, said the chances of finding survivors were extremely slim.
Authorities said rescue and relief efforts were continuing. Government spokesman Evariste Ngamana expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said authorities were making every effort to assist those affected.
Mining accidents are common at small, poorly regulated gold mines in the Central African Republic, where thousands of people work with limited safety equipment and inadequate protections.
The latest tragedy follows several deadly mining accidents in the country this year, including a collapse at the Bembere gold mine near the Cameroon border in June.