East Region: At least 33 dead in landslide at gold mine in Garoua-Boulaï

At least 33 people have died in a landslide at a gold mine on the border between Cameroon and the Central African Republic, according to local authorities. Many more miners are believed to be buried under the debris, said Julien Martial Asse, the municipal administrator of the nearby Cameroonian border town of Garoua-Boulaï. The landslide at the artisanal mining site occurred Tuesday midday. Rescue workers continued searching for survivors on Wednesday. Some injured miners were receiving medical treatment. The cause of the collapse was initially unclear, as was the number of miners prospecting for gold at the time of the accident. The border area between Cameroon and the Central African Republic is rich in gold. A lot of gold mining in the region is carried out by hand. Low safety standards mean serious accidents are a repeat occurrence. Source: dpa