Over 100 people dead as mine collapses near Cameroon border

Aug 20, Kathmandu - A devastating mine collapse in the western region of the Central African Republic has resulted in the deaths of more than a hundred individuals, according to local authorities and Red Cross volunteers. The incident occurred on Tuesday at a gold mine in Jamboye village, located close to the Cameroon border.

The site is approximately 50 kilometers from the town of Babua in the Central African Republic and just a few kilometers from Garuwa-Bulai in eastern Cameroon. Red Cross volunteer Gerbe Ganagoro reported that over 100 bodies had been recovered by Wednesday during rescue efforts.

A senior official from the local mining association confirmed the death toll has surpassed 100, with fears that the actual number may rise further. Several people remain missing, and there are concerns that others are trapped beneath the debris.

Batrand Be Yange, a local official, described rescuing those trapped under the rubble as a miraculous feat. He expressed deep sorrow over the loss of young men and women who had entered the mines in hopes of improving their families’ economic conditions. The incident has been described as ‘horrific,’ with Suleiman Bile, Deputy Mayor of Nana-Mambere Prefecture, appealing to various organizations and aid agencies for rescue and relief efforts.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the disaster was caused by the sudden collapse of underground tunnels. An official judicial inquiry has been initiated into the incident. Cedric Mbango, a miner working at the site, called the collapse ‘catastrophic,’ noting that the ground had completely caved in, trapping many beneath the rubble while rescue operations continue. It is believed that some individuals are still buried under the debris.

Such accidents are common in small and informal mining operations across the Central African Republic. Thousands of miners work outside government regulation without proper safety equipment, often in structurally weak tunnels, increasing the risk of collapses and other tragic incidents.