France, Aug. 21 -- The accident happened on Tuesday at the Zamboye mining site, about 50 kilometres from the Central African town of Baboua, near the border with Cameroon.

Local residents said nearly 500 people were working at the open-pit mine, which is known to be particularly dangerous.

Such accidents are not unusual during the rainy season, but the scale of the disaster is unprecedented, Samuel Nguiffo, director of the Centre for Environment and Development and a specialist in mining issues in Cameroon, told RFI.

Many young people had gone to the site to earn money ahead of the new school year, making it busier than usual, he said. Pressure for change

"This accident was a wakeup call not only for the authorities but also the compa...