Arabic version: انهيار منجم ذهب في السودان يقتل ما لا يقل عن 82 شخصاً
According to France 24, at least 82 people were killed and another 50 wounded when a gold mine collapsed in a remote area of Sudan. A source in the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which controls the area, gave the toll to AFP.
The collapse occurred at the al-Zara gold mine in the town of Nuhud, in West Kordofan province. The RSF has been at war with Sudan’s military for more than three years and controls the province where the mine is located.
The RSF source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak for the group’s parallel administration, said an unknown number of people remained trapped beneath the rubble. Rescue efforts were being conducted with rudimentary methods.
Survivors said the collapse happened late Tuesday and that many people were still missing at the mine. Al-Amin Suliman, a miner, said people were trapped inside the mine, which has several shafts.
Another survivor, Khairal-Sayed Gabara, described the collapse as “massive” and said machinery needed to remove the fallen soil and rubble was not readily available. Search and rescue operations were continuing, and the death toll could rise.
Sudan is a major gold producer, but mine collapses are common because of poor safety standards. A collapse in 2023 killed 14 miners, while another in 2021 claimed 38 lives.
