Gold Mine Collapse in Central African Republic Kills at Least 30

At least 30 miners have been killed after a gold mine collapsed on Tuesday morning in the Abba region of the Nana-Mambere prefecture in western Central African Republic, according to local authorities and survivors.

Florian Gaguende, a miner who survived the incident, said rescue teams were still searching for additional workers believed to be trapped beneath the rubble. He noted that the likelihood of finding them alive was diminishing with each passing hour.

Souleymane Bi, the deputy mayor of the sub-prefecture, confirmed that over several hours, rescuers and local residents managed to recover 30 bodies from the collapsed site. Injured miners have been taken for medical treatment.

"It is horrible and we are calling for help from organizations and all people of good will to help pull from the hole those who are unable to do so," Bi said.

The mine was a low-tech, artisanal operation, typical of the small-scale extraction sites that employ several thousand people across the country. Such collapses are a recurring hazard in the Central African Republic, where miners often work without adequate protective equipment or safety measures.