Sudan gold mine collapse leaves at least 60 dead

At least 60 people have been killed in a gold mine collapse in Sudan’s West Kordofan state,  three local sources told Reuters, while a monitoring group warned that some miners may still be trapped underground.

The Kordofan Observatory said that more than 70 artisanal miners were dead or missing after a series of adjoining mining shafts collapsed at the al-Zara mine in the Fouja area, northwest of al-Nuhud.

Citing eyewitness accounts, the monitoring group said a survivor emerged from the mine on September 15 and reported that other miners were still alive underground. It said no specialized rescue teams had reached the site, while unstable, sandy ground was hampering local residents’ efforts to rescue survivors and recover bodies using basic equipment.

The high death toll at the remote mine was linked to a lack of safety measures and adequate rescue equipment.

Sudan is one of Africa’s largest gold producers, but most of its gold is extracted through hazardous artisanal mining operations. Much of the country’s gold is subsequently smuggled out of Sudan.

Gold mining is also an important source of revenue for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which control West Kordofan. The paramilitary group has been fighting Sudan’s army since April 2023 in a conflict that has devastated large parts of the country.

By Vafa Guliyeva