At Least 60 Killed in Gold Mine Collapse in Sudan’s West Kordofan Amid Concerns Over Unsafe Mining Conditions

At Least 60 Killed in Gold Mine Collapse in Sudan’s West Kordofan Amid Concerns Over Unsafe Mining Conditions
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At least 60 people have been killed after a gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, according to local sources cited by Reuters. The incident occurred in a remote area north of the town of Al-Nuhud, where informal gold mining operations are widespread.

The collapse affected the Al-Zara mine in the Fouja area, where several connected mining shafts gave way. A local monitoring group reported that dozens of artisanal miners were killed or remain missing, while rescue efforts have been hampered by the lack of specialized equipment and difficult ground conditions.

Local sources attributed the high death toll to the absence of adequate safety procedures and rescue infrastructure at the makeshift mining site. Sudan’s gold sector relies heavily on artisanal mining, much of which operates outside formal regulatory frameworks and carries significant risks for workers.

The accident occurred in West Kordofan, a region controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) amid Sudan’s ongoing conflict. Gold mining has become an important source of revenue in areas affected by the war, with armed groups and local communities relying on the sector for income.

The disaster highlights the dangers facing thousands of informal miners in Sudan, where economic hardship and conflict have contributed to the expansion of unregulated mining activities.