Central African Republic shuts gold mine after collapse kills 49
CAR suspends operations at an informal gold mine near Cameroon after a collapse killed at least 49 people, including foreign nationals.
Authorities in the Central African Republic have ordered the closure of an artisanal gold mine in Zamboye, near the Cameroonian border, after a collapse there killed at least 49 people on Tuesday.
Mines Minister Rufin Benam Beltoungou announced the government would formally suspend activity at the site until further notice. He said the dead included 35 Central Africans, 12 Cameroonians, and two Chadians.
A senior official from a local mining association had earlier suggested the death toll could exceed 100. A prosecutor involved in the response said rescue efforts were ongoing and that the full number of casualties had not yet been confirmed.
The disaster highlights the dangers of informal mining, which provides vital income across Africa but often operates with little oversight, weak safety standards, and no emergency response capacity. Such conditions make fatal accidents a recurring problem in the sector.
In a related development, neighbouring Cameroon has pledged to formalise parts of its mining industry, aiming to strengthen regulation, improve worker safety, and boost tax collection.