Sudan gold mine collapse kills at least 70 miners

At least 70 people were killed in a gold mine collapse in Sudan’s West Kordofan state as reports of survivors underground spurred calls for urgent rescue efforts.

More than 70 artisanal miners were dead or missing after a series of adjoining shafts collapsed Sunday at the al-Zara mine in the Fouja area, northwest of al-Nuhud, the Kordofan Observatory monitoring group said Wednesday.

A survivor emerged late on Tuesday and reported that other miners were still alive underground, Reuters reported, citing eyewitness accounts.

The disaster highlights the risks facing artisanal miners in one of Africa’s largest gold-producing countries, where fatal mine accidents have occurred repeatedly and much of the metal is extracted through small-scale operations.

Rescue struggle

No specialized rescue teams had intervened as of Wednesday, according to the Kordofan Observatory. Unstable, sandy ground was hampering residents trying to reach trapped miners and recover bodies using basic tools.

Local sources attributed the scale of the disaster at the remote site to inadequate safety procedures and a lack of rescue equipment.

Sudan has recorded other deadly accidents involving miners digging for gold. At least 32 people were killed in a mine collapse in 2021, according to a mining official. In 2023, 14 miners died and more than 20 were injured when a mine collapsed in the country’s Northern state. Witnesses in both cases said the miners had been digging for gold.

Accidents are most common in Sudan’s artisanal mining industry, which produces the vast majority of the country’s gold. Much of that production is later smuggled out of the country.

Conflict revenue

Gold has also become an important source of revenue during Sudan’s conflict. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces control West Kordofan and derive revenue from gold mining.

The European Union tightened sanctions on Sudan’s gold sector in July, prohibiting the purchase, import or transfer of gold originating in the country and exported after July 15. The measures were increased last week to also prohibit the sale, supply, transfer or export of mercury and sodium cyanide to Sudan, along with related technical assistance, brokering and financial services.

The EU said gold mining and exploitation are major sources of income for both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which have been fighting since 2023. The restrictions are intended to curb resources used to sustain the conflict.

At al-Zara, the possibility that miners remain alive has added urgency to the rescue effort, while the fragile terrain and lack of specialized equipment complicate attempts to reach them.

(With files from Reuters)