BANGUI - At least 37 miners were killed in a mine accident in Central African Republic (CAR) when a gold mine where they were working collapsed, the country's official said on Monday.

CAR's president's office spokesman Prosper Ndouba said the initial death toll is 37 and as there were many other injured, the number of deaths could rise.

The accident took place on Sunday at a gold mine in Ndassima, about 440 km east of Bangui.