Landslide kills 30 in Chad goldmine

A landslide at an illegal gold mine in Chad has killed about 30 people, a government minister said on Thursday, reports Reuters.

The mine in the Tibesti region near the Libyan border collapsed early on Tuesday and more victims might still be buried in the rubble, said defence minister Mahamat Sala.

Tibesti has witnessed rapid growth in illegal mining in recent years, often by refugees from Sudan looking for quick money to head to Europe or by rebels fighting the army.

Unsafe methods and a lack of oversight mean accidents are common at such mines in Africa, where impoverished communities seek a share of the vast resources that are usually dug up by international companies, processed and sent overseas.

Last June, more than 40 people died when part of a Glencore copper and cobalt mine collapsed in southeast Congo.