Central African Republic gold mine collapse kills more than 100

More than 100 people were killed when an artisanal gold mine collapsed in ​Central ‌African Republic on Tuesday, ⁠a senior official at a local mining association ‌said.

A prosecutor confirmed there had been ⁠a mine collapse in the village of Zamboye near the border ​with Cameroon but said the number ‌of deaths and other details were still being established.

Footage showed miners, mostly young men and women covered in mud, pulling a body from the pit while dozens of other miners and workers were scattered around the expansive site, some shouting for help.

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The prosecutor said ‌in a statement that rescue efforts were continuing ​and an investigation would be opened to establish the cause and who was running ​the site.

The death toll is likely to rise since several people were still missing and others were trapped under the rubble, said Bertrand Be Yangué, a member of the Zamboye youth council.

“Finding them alive would be a miracle,” Yangué said. “We are saddened and heartbroken to see young men and women perish after coming to the mines to save their families from despair.”

Cameroonian authorities said they ​were ready to receive ​and provide medical care to any injured people who ​crossed the border.

Small-scale extraction mining supports livelihoods across Africa, but weak regulation and poor safety standards often lead to deadly accidents.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AP)