At least 60 people were killed when a gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan state on Sunday, according to Reuters. A local rights group warned that additional miners could still be trapped underground and called for urgent rescue operations.
The Kordofan Observatory monitoring group said on Wednesday that more than 70 artisanal miners were either dead or missing after several adjoining shafts collapsed at the al-Zara mine in the Fouja area, northwest of al-Nuhud. The group said a survivor emerged from the mine on Tuesday and reported that other miners remained trapped underground.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by the remote location and unstable, sandy ground, according to the group. It said residents were attempting to recover survivors and bodies with basic tools, while no specialised rescue teams had reached the site. Local sources attributed the heavy death toll to inadequate safety measures and a lack of rescue equipment.
The disaster highlights the dangers faced by Sudan’s artisanal miners, who account for the vast majority of the country’s gold production. Despite being one of Africa’s major gold producers, Sudan’s gold sector has long been associated with hazardous working conditions and widespread smuggling.
Gold also provides an important source of revenue for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which controls West Kordofan. With miners still feared trapped, calls are growing for immediate rescue efforts and greater safety measures at mining sites across the country.
