Sudan · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Sudan Gold Mine Collapse Kills At Least 60 In West Kordofan
At least 60 people killed in a gold mine collapse in West Kordofan near El-Nuhud. The disaster underscores dangers of informal, unregulated mining in remote areas.
Mine-collapse death toll status and retrieval certainty.
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One specifies retrieved bodies; the other uses a cautious minimum.
Gold mine collapse kills miners
At least 60 people were killed after a gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan region, according to local sources cited by Reuters on Wednesday.
“At least 60 people have been killed after a gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan region”
The mine collapsed on Sunday in a remote area north of the town of al-Nuhud, Reuters reported, after the collapse was described as occurring in a remote area where safety measures and rescue resources are often limited.
AFP reported that shafts began collapsing in the Al-Zaraa mine near the town of El-Nahud in West Kordofan on Tuesday, and by the following morning 60 bodies had been retrieved.
Survivors told AFP that they did not know how many more were still inside, and said heavy machinery was needed to clear the rock and soil.
The collapse was linked in multiple reports to the dangers of informal and poorly regulated mining operations in remote areas of Sudan.
Survivors describe trapped miners
Survivor Khair al-Sayyed Jabara told AFP after an all-night rescue operation that "We don't know how many more are still inside," as miners worked with the same rudimentary tools used to mine.
Another miner, Al-Amin Suleiman, told AFP that "the shafts here are all close together, if one collapses, it brings down all the ones next to it," describing how the collapse spread through adjacent tunnels.
A separate report cited by Al Jazeera Net said at least 67 workers were killed after a gold mine collapsed in West Darfur state, with searches for survivors ongoing and rescuers recovering 67 bodies by morning.
In that account, Khair Al-Sayed Jabara told AFP, "We do not know how many people are still inside," and said it was difficult and that "we need heavy machinery to remove rocks and soil."
Across the accounts, survivors described rescue efforts continuing overnight with miners’ colleagues taking part and uncertainty about how many people remained trapped under rubble.
War financing and missing people
Multiple reports tied Sudan’s gold sector to the country’s war, saying that since war erupted in April 2023 between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, war efforts of both sides have been largely funded by the gold industry.
“Since war erupted in April 2023 between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces”
The Daily Star reported that nearly all of the gold smuggled or exported from Sudan is routed through the United Arab Emirates, which denies widespread reports it arms the RSF.T
AFP-based reporting described how many more were missing and feared dead under the rubble, while rescue operations were constrained by the need for heavy machinery and difficulties accessing collapsed areas.
Al Jazeera Net also framed the incident as a mine feeding Sudan's war, saying the conflict has destroyed Sudan’s already fragile economy and caused many to lose their jobs, driving many to join dangerous gold rush.
The reports also placed the disaster against Sudan’s broader crisis, with Al Jazeera Net saying nearly 20 million people face catastrophic levels of hunger and displacement.