Many people are feared dead after an illegal gold mine collapsed in Chad republic.
Chad Defence Minister, Mahamat Abali Salah said the mine caved in a zone beset by illegal mining at Kouri Bougoudi, near the Libyan border.
An army officer who pleaded anonymity spoke of around 30 deaths, basing the figure on witness accounts.
A local lawmaker spoke for his part of a dozen deaths, basing his tally on what witnesses had related to him.
The Tibesti region where the accident occurred is a largely lawless one and home to various gangs and traffickers seeking to profit from a gold rush.
The Chadian government has authorised mining companies to exploit the deposits but rights groups accuse authorities of using Arab fighters to compose a takeover of the area.
