At least 30 miners were killed and others left trapped when a gold-mining site collapsed Tuesday morning in the Abba area of Nana-Mambéré prefecture in western Central African Republic, authorities and survivors said. Rescue teams and local residents worked at the scene searching for more people believed buried after the low‑tech, artisanal pit gave way.
Survivor Florian Gaguende, who escaped the collapse, said rescuers continued to search for additional miners but warned the odds of finding anyone alive were fading: the chance of finding them alive “is getting slimmer,” he said. The mine is described as an informal, low‑protection site typical of small‑scale gold extraction in the region.
Souleymane Bi, deputy mayor of the sub‑prefecture, said rescuers and residents pulled 30 bodies from the collapsed shaft over several hours and that injured miners were receiving 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, appealing for outside assistance.
Video footage that appears to show the site captured chaotic rescue efforts: young men and women, covered in mud, hauling a body from the pit while dozens of other miners and workers moved about the expansive site, some shouting for help.
Government spokesman Evariste Ngamana expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and said authorities were “working hard to provide relief and assistance” to those affected.
Artisanal mine collapses are common in the Central African Republic, where several thousand people work in small‑scale mining. The work is hazardous because miners often lack proper safety equipment and the pits are unstable, making accidents frequently deadly. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/30-killed-as-gold-mine-collapses-in-central-african-republic-11928353#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-08-19 03:02:00
