Crux

The Church in the Central African Republic has joined the nation in mourning the deaths of more than 100 people who died following the collapse of an artisanal gold mine on Tuesday, August 18.

In a statement August 20, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Bouar, Mgr. Miroslaw Gucwa said it was with “immense sorrow ‘that he learned about the catastrophe.

The mining site where hundreds of artisanal gold miners had been working is situated in Zamboyé, a locality in the western Nana-Mambéré Prefecture of the CAR, near the Cameroon border town of Garoua -Boulai.

The Mayor of Garoua-Boualai, Abdon Adamou told Crux Now the soil excavated to reach the gold-bearing gravel had gradually accumulated to form “a huge mountain” of mud, from which artisanal gold miners in turn came to extract small quantities of gold.

“As it has been raining heavily over the last few days,” the mayor said, “the rain has seeped deep into this mountain of mud. That’s how it started to crack and caused the landslide.”

The feeling of loss is palpable among the affected population.

Speaking to RFI, a Cameroonian miner working in the area said he had lost several of his friends. “I was there; I actually saw the tragedy unfold,” Ibrahima Sadou recalled. “All my friends are dead; I went two days without sleeping or washing,” he said.

“I dug up the bodies as I’ve never done before in my life,” he said, adding that he lost a neighbor in the disaster, “a young man of 25 – it was truly heartbreaking.”

Preliminary investigations – site closed

Initial investigations carried out by the Baboua Public Prosecutor’s Office in the CAR explained that the landslide resulted from the collapse of several underground tunnels in which miners were working.

Following the deadly landslide, the government of the CAR suspended mining operations at the mining site.

After visiting the site on Wednesday, the CAR Minister of Mines and Geology, Rufin Benam, highlighted the dangers linked to illegal mining practices and called miners to “strictly adhere to safety rules and standards.”

“Given the seriousness of the situation, an immediate halt to mining activities at the site has been ordered, in order to prevent any further tragedy and to allow the relevant authorities to carry out the necessary investigations and assessments,” added a statement from the Ministry of Mines and Geology.

Bishop’s statement

In his statement Thursday, Bishop Gucwa expressed profound sorrow, calling the incident a “devastating loss” for the victims’ families and the wider diocesan community.

“This accident has plunged us all into immense sorrow,” the cleric said.

“We mourn the tragic loss of around one hundred of our brothers and sisters, so brutally torn from the affection of their biological families and our diocesan family,” he said.

“On behalf of the entire diocesan Church, I extend my deepest compassion and prayers to their families, their loved ones, and all those who knew and loved them. May the Lord welcome them into His peace and into the light of His Resurrection,” he said.

The cleric wished the injured a quick recovery, urging the entire Catholic family in the Diocese of Bouar to rally behind those affected by the tragedy with love and solidarity.

“I invite the entire diocesan family to unite in an outpouring of charity and solidarity toward the members of our community affected by this tragedy,” he said, describing Christian solidarity in times of suffering as a sign of hope.

“May the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, assist with her maternal presence all those who have been affected and devastated by this tragedy.”

He also urged local authorities to take urgent measures to protect workers and communities at mining sites.

“We call on the local authorities to act promptly to protect the lives of our fellow citizens at these worksites, which are increasingly becoming areas of danger in our country,” Bishop Gucwa said.

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