KHARTOUM (Sudan): At least 82 people were killed and dozens injured after a gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, with many others feared trapped beneath sand and rubble, a local administrator said yesterday.
Two survivors told AFP that miners worked through the night to recover victims using basic tools. Sixty bodies had been retrieved by dawn, while another 22 were found later on Wednesday. About 50 people were injured and an unknown number remained trapped, according to the administrator.
The collapse occurred at Al-Zaraa, an unregulated mine where dozens of young men work in dangerous conditions for low wages. Survivor Khair al-Sayyed Jabara said heavy machinery was urgently needed to clear the rubble and search for survivors.
Mining accidents are common in Sudan, where most gold is produced through artisanal and small-scale operations. Miners frequently work in abandoned shafts or unsecured pits with little safety equipment and are also exposed to hazardous chemicals such as cyanide and mercury.
Gold has become increasingly important to Sudan’s war economy since fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in 2023. Both sides rely heavily on the lucrative trade to finance their operations.
Sudan recorded about 70 tonnes of gold production last year, a five-year high, but officials say much of the metal is smuggled through neighbouring countries before reaching the United Arab Emirates, a major global gold exporter.
The European Union and Britain have imposed sanctions targeting illicit gold and financial networks linked to the conflict. The UN has repeatedly warned that profits from Sudan’s natural resources are helping sustain the war.
The RSF controls West Kordofan and neighbouring Darfur, making a large-scale rescue operation difficult. Residents in much of western Sudan remain heavily dependent on humanitarian aid and community networks amid the prolonged conflict. – AFP
