At least 70 people were killed after adjoining shafts collapsed at the al-Zaraa gold mine near al-Nuhud town in Sudan’s West Kordofan state on Tuesday, according to the Kordofan Observatory monitoring group. Dozens of artisanal miners were trapped, and the casualty figure could rise as search efforts continue.
Residents lead the search for survivors
Kordofan Observatory said residents were struggling to pull survivors from the collapsed workings. Khair al-Sayyed Jabara, a survivor, told AFP that he and other miners dug throughout the night with their own tools and needed heavy equipment.
Amin Suleiman, another miner, said the shafts were packed closely together, so the collapse of one brought down those beside it. The Sudan Doctors Network said the search was ongoing and warned that the number of casualties could increase. Read the context: IOM warns Sudan’s emergency aid network could collapse within weeks.
What we know now
- Residents are using rudimentary tools to search through loose, sandy soil.
- No specialised rescue teams had joined the effort when the incident was reported.
- Survivors said heavy equipment was needed and that they did not know how many people remained underground.
Safety concerns at an informal mining site
Local sources cited by Reuters attributed the high death toll to a lack of safety procedures and rescue equipment. The Sudan Doctors Network said the site lacked basic safeguards for workers and condemned what it described as negligence.
West Kordofan is controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has fought Sudan’s army since April 2023. The group has identified smuggled gold as a key source of revenue, while most of Sudan’s gold production comes from dangerous informal mining at disused or unofficial sites.
What happens next
The Sudan Doctors Network called for the search to continue, for medical and logistical assistance to be provided, and for those controlling the area to end unregulated mining.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.