In the eastern part of the Central African Republic (CAR), at noon on August 18 local time, a massive landslide struck a gold mine located approximately 50 kilometers from the town of Bafou. According to AFP, citing local sources, at least 100 people were killed in the collapse, with many more injured. In photos provided by the Anadolu agency, dozens of miners can be seen working in the open-pit workings of a gold mine in this same eastern region — a typical scene of the illegal mining that characterizes the country.
The Year's Largest Mining Disaster in CAR
A local official who spoke to the media acknowledged that it is extremely difficult to provide official figures on the number of victims at this time. This means that the preliminary figure of 100 deaths, reported by AFP, may be revised as rescue operations progress. The incident is being described by observers as the largest mining accident in the country this year, and it caps off a series of recurring disasters at mines scattered across the mineral-rich CAR.
Rescue Operations Ongoing
Cédric Mbango, a miner from the area, described what happened as a "catastrophe." In his words, the ground completely collapsed and buried everyone who was on site: "At the time I was speaking, people were still trapped under the rubble. Rescue operations are ongoing." Thus, at the time of writing, the death toll remains unconfirmed, and witnesses say that additional bodies may still be lying beneath the debris, not yet recovered.
A Series of Accidents at Illegal Mines
Landslides and collapses regularly occur at sites of illegal mineral extraction that lie outside state control. This is not an isolated incident: in June, a similar collapse at the Bimbari gold mine in the border region with Cameroon claimed the lives of dozens of people. In March, landslides at a mine in the village of Ngoumoum in western CAR killed seven people, and in February at least 20 people died in the Goré area in the northeast of the country. In total, in the first months of 2026, more than a hundred people have reportedly died at mines in the CAR.
Conflicting Data
There is a significant discrepancy between sources regarding how confirmed the key figure is. AFP, relying on local sources, immediately reported at least 100 dead, and regional media recorded the same estimate. However, a local official publicly stated that official figures on the victims cannot be given at this time. Thus, the figure of "100" is preliminary and has not been confirmed by state authorities; the final toll may turn out to be either higher or lower depending on the results of the excavation. Until an official summary is published, both versions — "at least 100" and "figures being verified" — should be considered equally valid.
Context: A Disaster Against a Backdrop of Illegal Mining
The recurring accidents expose a systemic problem: a significant portion of gold mining in the CAR is carried out in an artisanal and illegal manner, with no safety oversight whatsoever, making collapses virtually inevitable. Experts point out that the lack of state supervision, the poverty of the population, and the high dependence on the mining economy create a persistent cycle of disasters. The incident near Bafou once again raises the question of whether the CAR government will be able to bring the illegal mines under control, or whether the series of deadly collapses will continue.
