A landslide at an gold mine in central Burkina Faso that followed heavy rains has killed eight people, local authorities said on Sunday.

The accident happened on Saturday at Nagrire, "leaving eight people dead and five slightly injured," said Bernard Bouda, mayor of nearby Gogo commune, who travelled to the scene of the tragedy.

The dead were buried on the spot and the wounded taken to hospital in Gogo, a local judicial source said.

The landslide came after heavy rains in the region in recent days, which burst a dyke in the area, the source added.

Such deadly landslides are frequent and the Burkinabe authorities struggle to control gold prospecting in the area, which is carried out by 1.2 million people according to official figures.

Gold is one of the main exports of the landlocked state in west Africa's arid Sahel region.

Child miners have also become a growing problem in Burkina Faso, where 60 percent of the population is under 25.

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