Gold Mine Collapse in Central African Republic Kills 30 Miners

At least 30 miners died and others remained trapped following a gold mining site collapse in the western region of the Central African Republic on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. According to local authorities and resident accounts reported by ABC News and The Hindu, the disaster struck a low-tech, artisanal pit in the Abba region of the Nana-Mambere prefecture during morning operations.

Tragedy Strikes Nana-Mambere Prefecture

Florian Gaguende, a surviving miner interviewed after the incident, stated that rescue operations faced severe constraints and that the chance of locating additional trapped workers alive “is getting slimmer.”

Rescue teams and local residents labored for several hours to extract victims from the unstable pit. Souleymane Bi, the deputy mayor of the sub-prefecture, confirmed the death toll reached 30 bodies recovered from the wreckage, while injured survivors were transferred to local facilities for medical treatment. Bi described the disaster as “horrible” and issued an urgent appeal for external assistance from organizations and community members to aid in clearing the debris.

Footage captured at the site revealed chaotic emergency responses. Mud-covered young men and women fought to clear earth and retrieve bodies as crowds gathered around the expansive, hazardous pit to search for missing relatives.

Systemic Risks in Artisanal Extraction

Government spokesman Evariste Ngamana expressed official condolences to the families of the victims and noted that state authorities are working to deliver relief to those impacted by the disaster.

Ongoing Recovery and Regional Impact

The incident highlights the persistent hazards confronting thousands of independent miners who depend on high-risk manual labor for their daily livelihood.