At Least 100 Dead in Gold Mine Collapse in Central African Republic

More than 100 people have been killed after an artisanal gold mine collapsed in western Central African Republic (CAR) near the border with Cameroon. 

Local media reported that the cave-in occurred on Tuesday in the village of Zamboye, about 50km (31 miles) from the Central African town of Baboua and a few kilometres from Garoua-Boulai, in eastern Cameroon.

Footage showed miners, mostly young men and women covered in mud, pulling a body from the pit while dozens of other miners and workers were scattered around the expansive site, some shouting for help.

The prosecutor said in a statement that rescue efforts were continuing ​and an investigation would be opened to establish the cause and who was running ​the site.

The death toll is likely to rise since several people were still missing and others were trapped under the rubble, said Bertrand Be Yangué, a member of the Zamboye youth council.

Cameroonian authorities said they ​were ready to receive ​and provide medical care to any injured people who ​crossed the border.

Source: Al Jazeera | France 24