YAOUNDE, Aug. 19– More than 100 miners were killed Tuesday after a gold mine caved in at a border village between Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR), officials and local media said.
Gregoire Mvongo, governor of Cameroon’s East Region which borders CAR, said the collapse happened around 2:00 p.m. local time in the village of Zamboye.
“Zamboye is a border village, but the mine collapsed on the CAR side. About three to five Cameroonians died. We are doing everything possible to rescue victims,” Mvongo told Xinhua by phone.
Cameroon’s state media CRTV put the death toll at over 100. Other local outlets reported that 107 bodies had already been recovered from the debris.
Oriegene Dokna, a resident near the site, described the tragedy as a shock to the local community. “We are shocked by the tragedy. Families have been mourning since yesterday. It is a difficult situation to accept,” Dokna told Xinhua.
Local officials said rescue teams were still working to reach miners believed to be trapped underground. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
