More than 100 people died when an artisanal gold mine collapsed in the Central African Republic on Tuesday, a senior official with a local mining association said. A prosecutor confirmed that a mine collapse had occurred in the village of Zamboye, near the border with Cameroon, but said the death toll and other details were still being established. Footage showed miners, mostly young men and women covered in mud, carrying a body out of the pit while dozens of other miners and workers were scattered across the sprawling site, some shouting for help. See moreMauritania sees gold rush in Sahara desert The prosecutor said in a statement that rescue efforts were continuing and that an investigation would be opened to establish the cause and who managed the site. The death toll is likely to rise as several people remain missing and others trapped under the rubble, said Bertrand Be Yangué, a member of the Zamboye youth council. “Finding them alive would be a miracle,” said Yangué. “We are sad and heartbroken to see young men and women dying after coming to the mines to save their families from despair.” Cameroonian authorities said they were ready to receive and provide medical care to any injured person crossing the border. Small-scale extractive mining supports livelihoods across Africa, but weak regulation and poor safety standards often lead to deadly accidents. (FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AP)