An artisanal mine collapse in the Central African Republic killed eight people and injured five others on Thursday morning, according to miners at the scene. The accident happened in Nourroum, a mining town in Ouham-Péndé prefecture in the northwestern part of the country.
Miners said the people who died were inside the mine when the collapse struck. “The victims were deep inside the mine, digging, when the collapse happened. We were speechless and helpless,” said Alban Moussa Yakata, a mine operator in Nourroum.
The report also noted that the Ministry of Mines and Geology did not respond to a request for comment. AP said the collapse occurred as artisanal mining continues to employ several thousand people in small-scale extraction across the country, a work setting that miners describe as risky.
AP said artisanal mine collapses are common in the Central African Republic, in part because miners often do not have enough protection on the job. The government issues licenses to mining cooperatives to run the mines.