At least eight miners killed in Central African Republic gold mine landslide

At least eight artisanal gold miners were killed when a mining site collapsed in western Central African Republic. Rescue teams recovered eight bodies and continued searching for about a dozen people reported missing. The accident is the latest in a series of deadly mining disasters in the country.

At least eight artisanal gold miners were killed after a landslide struck a mining site in the western part of the Central African Republic (CAR), highlighting the dangerous conditions faced by workers in the country's informal mining sector.
The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at the Konyeme mining site in Nana-Mambéré prefecture. According to local authorities, the collapse happened at around 2 a.m. local time while several miners were working underground. The site was reportedly still under development when the accident took place.
Laurent Ngon Baba, a member of parliament representing Baboua 1, where the mining site is located, said the ground suddenly gave way, trapping miners beneath large amounts of earth and debris. The unexpected collapse buried workers who were carrying out mining activities below the surface, leaving many with little chance of escape.
Emergency search and rescue operations were launched immediately after the incident. Rescue teams worked through the rubble and recovered the bodies of eight miners, while efforts continued to locate several others believed to be trapped underground.
Authorities said the victims included one local resident and seven people believed to be foreign Fulani nationals. Their identities have not yet been officially released.
Local media reports on Wednesday indicated that about a dozen miners were still missing, raising concerns that the death toll could rise as search operations continue. Families of the missing have been waiting anxiously for news as rescuers comb through the collapsed site.
The latest disaster comes only weeks after another fatal mining accident in the same prefecture. On May 6, a shaft collapse at the Be-Mbari mining site claimed the lives of 23 miners, drawing attention to the lack of safety measures at many artisanal mining operations across the country.
Artisanal mining remains a major source of income for many people in the Central African Republic, where poverty and limited employment opportunities drive thousands to work in small-scale mining sites. However, such operations often lack adequate safety standards, making miners vulnerable to accidents, collapses, and other hazards.
Despite being rich in natural resources, including gold, diamonds, and oil, the Central African Republic remains one of the poorest countries in the world. More than a decade of armed conflict involving rebel groups has weakened state institutions and complicated efforts to regulate the mining industry and improve working conditions.
As rescue efforts continue at the Konyeme site, authorities are working to determine the full extent of the disaster while communities mourn another devastating loss in a region already affected by repeated mining tragedies.