A landslide at a gold mining area in Zamboï in western Central African Republic (CAR), near the border with Cameroon, has killed more than 100 people, an official has told the BBC.

Videos shared online appear to show a slope collapsing on to a crowd of people at the site as others ran to safety.

Adamou Abdon, the mayor of Garoua-Boulaï, a Cameroonian border town, told the BBC it happened on Tuesday afternoon.

Rescue efforts are under way amid fears the death toll could rise.

It is not immediately clear what triggered the landslide at the mine. Abdon said that so far “107 lifeless bodies [had been] removed from the rubble”.

A miner at the site, Cedric Mbango, told the AFP news agency: “The ground completely collapsed and buried people.

“As I speak to you, other people are still buried.”

At least three of the victims are Cameroonian, the governor of Cameroon’s East Region has told state media.

Grégoire Mvongo said their bodies were being repatriated home for burial, while measures were being taken to cater for those who had sustained injuries in Zamboï.

According to AFP, survivors were being taken to hospital in Baboua, a town in CAR about 50km (31 miles) from the mining site.

Local media in the CAR say the authorities have opened an investigation into what may have caused the landslide.

AFP quotes a statement from the public prosecutor in Baboua as saying it is thought “the collapse of several underground tunnels in which miners were operating” was to blame.

Artisanal mining, a labour-intensive method of extracting minerals, is the main source of income for many households in the region.

Working conditions are poor, with miners often exposed to health and environmental risks.

Mine collapses and landslides are not uncommon as pits are usually left unsealed and torrential rains weaken the soil.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica