Tragedy at a gold mine in Sudan: 60 dead and others under the rubble

The collapse of the Al-Zara gold mine, in a remote area north of the town of al-Nuhud, in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, has left at least 60 people dead.

Two people who survived the incident told AFP that other workers may still be trapped under the rubble. Search and rescue efforts continued throughout the night.

“We have no information about how many people may still be inside,” said Khair al-Sayed Jabara, who, along with other workers, took part in efforts to retrieve survivors after the collapse.

Al-Amin Suleiman, another mine worker, said teams had so far recovered 60 bodies from the rubble, while several people remained trapped after the collapse the previous day.

“So far, 60 bodies have been recovered, but there are still people trapped at the site since yesterday. I do not believe they survived,” Suleiman said.

According to him, the mine shafts had been dug very close to one another. As a result, the collapse of one shaft caused the surrounding structures to cave in.

Such incidents are common in Sudan’s small-scale and illegal gold mines, where working conditions are dangerous and safety measures are lacking.

Gold has become an important source of funding during the war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both sides rely largely on the mining industry, in addition to receiving support from foreign countries.

The war has severely damaged Sudan’s economy and deepened the humanitarian crisis. The latest UN data show that around 20 million people are facing acute food insecurity.

Job losses and worsening economic conditions have driven many citizens to turn to gold mining, increasing the number of workers in small-scale mines that often fail to meet safety standards.