A horrifying video from the Central African Republic shows dozens of miners being buried alive after a landslide at an illegal gold mine. At least 100 are dead.
Terrifying video footage from the Central African Republic shows dozens of miners being buried alive after a massive landslide engulfed an illegal gold mine near the Cameroon border. The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon at the Zamboye mining site, about 50 kilometres from Baboua.
The footage shows the ground at the open-pit mine suddenly breaking away. Workers who had been standing on the surface were seen falling downwards as the earth collapsed beneath them. Within seconds, they were completely buried by the sheer force of the landslide.
Ground suddenly gave way, swallowing workers in seconds
Cedric Mbango, a miner at the site, described the incident as “catastrophic.” The Baboua public prosecutor said the landslide was caused by the collapse of several underground tunnels where miners were operating. A judicial inquiry has been opened.
At least 100 people are believed to have died, with many others injured. Survivors were taken to hospital in Baboua. At least four of the victims were Cameroonian.
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Landslides are common in illegal operations outside state control. Cameroonian opposition leader Maurice Kamto said the accident revealed “the inhumanity of those who grow rich from the illegal exploitation of minerals.”
The government has announced strengthened controls in the gold sector. Similar collapses have occurred before, including at the Be-Mbari gold mining site in June.
Search operations continued on Wednesday.