At least 52 people died when an illegal gold mine collapsed due to landsliding in northern Republic of Chad in north-central Africa.

Government officials initially said as many as 30 people may have died when the mine caved in on Tuesday in Kouri Bougoudi, in Tibesti province, near the Libyan border, an area rife with illicit mining and smugglers.

Chad’s Defence Minister, Mahamat Sala, on Thursday said a landslide at an illegal gold mine has killed about 30 people in the country.

He further said that more victims might still be buried in the rubble which is located near the Libyan border.

According to officials the accident has taken some time to emerge because of the remoteness of the area.

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

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

There is a state of emergency in place in the area due to insecurity. It is also home many unlicensed gold mines.

There are similar deaths in many mining countries in Africa where people engage in unsafe and unlicensed mining activities.

Often those who engage in such dangerous means of mining are impoverished and hoping to improve their living standards.

Meanwhile Chad continues to witness series of militant attacks mostly carried out by Boko Haram militants.

In March, the Chadian government decided to set up a joint security force in Tibesti and closed the border with southern Libya – a major source of trafficking and a haven for Chadian rebels.