Central African Republic closes Zamboye gold mine after collapse leaves over 100 feared dead

Tunnel collapse at the border

On the morning of Tuesday, 18 August 2026, at approximately 10:00 AM, several underground tunnels collapsed at an artisanal gold mine in the western village of Zamboye. The mine spans several hectares along the Kades river near the Cameroonian border, roughly 50 kilometres from the town of Baboua in the Nana-Mambere subprefecture. Heavy rainfall had saturated the surrounding terrain over the preceding 72 hours, weakening the hillside before a large section of earth gave way. Video footage circulating from the site showed miners climbing the mound moments before tons of mud and rock broke free and buried workers below. Artisanal miner Wilfried Ngoloyangue noted that crews were working in their section when they heard the slide and calls for help.

Conflicting death tolls and search efforts

Rescue workers and volunteers from the local Red Cross continued digging through the debris on Thursday, 20 August 2026, recovering more than ten bodies during morning operations. Official figures released by the Central African Republic government report at least 49 dead, though local authorities, Cameroonian media, and aid workers state that at least 107 bodies have been recovered. Local radio station Radio Ndeke Luka reported that roughly 100 people remain unaccounted for beneath the rubble. Red Cross volunteer Gervais Ganagoro explained that new bodies are discovered hourly, while artisanal miner Florian Gaguendem stated that the likelihood of finding survivors two days after the incident is diminishing.

Disregarded warnings and unregulated operations

Central African Armed Forces personnel had instructed miners to evacuate the pit prior to the collapse due to the unstable, rain-soaked earth, but workers resumed digging. Mines Minister Rufin Benam-Beltoungou visited the disaster site alongside technical staff to evaluate conditions before announcing a provisional shutdown of the facility.

The Central African Armed Forces asked them to get out of this hole because the ground was very loose. It had rained practically for 72 hours here. Unfortunately, these compatriots did not comply, according to what they themselves admitted. Ultimately they continued digging. The ground collapsed and there was a landslide over them.

Civic advocates and religious figures pointed to longstanding regulatory failures across informal mining sites. Sister Elvira Tutolo, an Italian missionary who has worked in the country for more than 30 years, denounced the absence of geological studies and safety inspections. Paul Crescent Beninga, secretary general of the Civil Society Working Group, stated that public authorities had taken no preventative action despite recurring fatal landslides.

Pain and anger. So much. We cannot accept continuing to lose lives, especially boys, young people, and perhaps even children, in this way. There is no soil study, there are no controls of any kind.

Cross-border casualties and legal inquiry

The collapse affected workers from several Central African nations who migrate to informal deposits along the border. Of the 49 deaths officially counted by the mining ministry, 34 were Central African citizens, 13 were Cameroonian, and two were Chadian. Injured miners were transported to medical centres in Baboua and across the border in Garoua-Boulai, Cameroon. Cameroon's Ministry of Mines deployed a delegation to the border zone, while Garoua-Boulai Mayor Abdon Adamou confirmed the deaths of Cameroonian nationals. The prosecutor's office in Baboua opened a formal criminal investigation to establish legal responsibility, identify victims, and evaluate the unlicensed operators active at the site.