At least 30 people were killed when a gold mine collapsed in northeastern Afghanistan in the latest tragedy to strike the war-torn country.

Another seven were injured in the incident on Sunday in Kohistan district of Badakhshan province, district governor Mohammad Rustam Raghi told AFP news agency.

Villagers dug a 60m deep shaft in a river bed to search for gold. They were inside when the walls caved in.

It was not clear why the shaft collapsed, but the provincial governor's spokesperson Nik Mohammad Nazari said the miners were not professionals.

"The villagers have been involved in this business for decades with no government control over them," Nazari said.

"We have sent a rescue team to the area, but villagers have already started removing bodies from the site."

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