The government of the Central African Republic has ordered the closure of a gold mining site that collapsed earlier this week, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people. The Zamboye site, located in the western part of the country, was shut down due to non-compliance with mining standards and administrative directives, according to Ruffin Benam Beltoungou, the minister of mines and geology.
Several other individuals sustained injuries in the collapse. The incident underscores the dangers inherent in the country's mining sector, where a significant portion of the population relies on small-scale extraction for their livelihood. These miners often work with inadequate protection and under weak regulatory oversight, contributing to the frequency of deadly disasters.
Local workers attempted a search for survivors, but their efforts were hampered by a lack of expertise and appropriate equipment for the scale of the tragedy. Notably, the Zamboye site had already been closed prior to the accident, but was reportedly being worked by illegal miners at the time of the collapse. The continued operation of the site by unauthorized individuals despite its closure highlights challenges in enforcing mining regulations.