At Least 30 Killed in Gold Mine Collapse in Central African Republic

Bangui: A gold mining site in western Central African Republic collapsed Tuesday, killing at least 30 miners and leaving others trapped beneath the debris, according to authorities and local residents.

The collapse struck the low-tech, artisanal mine in the Abba region of Nana-Mambere prefecture on Tuesday morning. Florian Gaguende, one of the miners who survived, told media that the rescuers were continuing to search for additional trapped workers, though he acknowledged the odds of finding survivors were diminishing.

Souleymane Bi, deputy mayor of the sub-prefecture, said rescue workers and local residents managed to pull 30 bodies from the site over several hours, while injured miners were receiving medical treatment. He described the scene as horrific and appealed to organisations and members of the public to help extract those still trapped and unable to free themselves.

Government spokesman Evariste Ngamana expressed sympathy for the victims' families and said authorities were working to provide relief and support to those affected by the disaster.