At least 30 miners died and several others remained trapped after an artisanal gold mine collapsed in the western region of the Central African Republic.
The tragedy struck during morning operations in the Abba region, located within the Nana-Mambere prefecture.
Emergency responders and local residents spent hours retrieving victims from the mud, while medical personnel treated the injured survivors.
Survivors reported that rescue teams are continuing search efforts to locate missing workers, though hopes of finding more survivors are rapidly dimming.
Local authorities described chaotic scenes at the expansive mining area as workers scrambled to unearth trapped colleagues.
Government officials expressed condolences to the victims’ families and pledged emergency assistance to the impacted community.
Municipal leaders have issued urgent calls to international relief organizations for additional support.
Small-scale, low-tech mining remains widespread across the nation, where thousands of workers operate without standardized safety equipment.
Hazardous working conditions frequently lead to fatal structural collapses across the country’s mineral sites.