BANGUI, Aug 19 (Reuters) – 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.
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.
Cameroonian authorities said they were ready to receive and provide medical care to any injured people who crossed the border.
Artisanal mining supports livelihoods across Africa, but weak regulation and poor safety standards often lead to deadly accidents.
(Reporting by Judicael Yongo in Bangui;Additional reporting by Amindeh Blaise Atabong in Yaounde;Writing by Ayen Deng Bior;Editing by Alexander Winning)
