Doha: More than 100 people were killed following a collapse inside a gold mine in western Central African Republic, near the border with Cameroon. Others were injured, while several people remain missing.

According to Qatar News Agency, an official from a Central African mining association stated that the death toll had exceeded 100. Cameroonian media reported that at least four Cameroonian nationals were among the deceased. The tragic incident occurred at an artisanal gold mine in Zamboy, approximately 50 kilometers from Baboua, causing several underground tunnels to collapse.

The Public Prosecutor's Office in Bangui has announced an investigation into the incident. They acknowledged that several people were killed or injured, while others remain unaccounted for, though they have not provided an official death toll.

Rescue teams, alongside local residents, have managed to recover 30 bodies from the collapsed mine, and the injured are currently receiving medical care. Efforts are ongoing to locate miners believed to be trapped under the debris.

Mine collapses are a recurring issue in the Central African Republic, where mines are often operated using artisanal methods and lack regulatory oversight, increasing the risk of such accidents.

In mid-June, a similar collapse resulted in the deaths of dozens of people at a gold mine in the Bamingui-Bangoran region, also near the border with Cameroon.