Sudan Gold Mine Collapse Kills at Least 82 Miners

At least 82 miners died and dozens remain trapped after adjoining shafts collapsed at Sudan's al-Zaraa gold mine in West Kordofan, with rescuers lacking heavy machinery.

A series of adjoining mining shafts collapsed on Tuesday at the al-Zaraa artisanal gold mine near al-Nuhud town in Sudan's West Kordofan state, killing at least 82 people and injuring around 50, according to AFP, with an unknown number of miners still trapped under rubble. Survivor Khair al-Sayyed Jabara told AFP that he and fellow miners dug through the night using the same rudimentary tools they use to extract gold, retrieving 60 bodies by dawn, while a local administrator said another 22 bodies were found on Wednesday. "We need heavy machinery to clear the rock and soil," he said. An RSF source told AFP that rescue efforts are being conducted with rudimentary methods, and no specialised rescue teams had joined the effort, according to the Kordofan Observatory.

The shafts at al-Zaraa were packed so closely together that when one collapsed, it brought down the others beside it, survivor Amin Suleiman told AFP. Local sources told Reuters that the high death toll stemmed from a lack of safety procedures and rescue equipment at the site. The Sudan Doctors Network condemned what it called "negligence" that put miners' lives at serious risk, saying the site was missing basic safeguards for workers. One miner told AFP: "There are people still trapped underground since yesterday. I don't think they are alive."

Most of Sudan's gold is extracted through artisanal and small-scale mining at decommissioned mines or informal zones like al-Zaraa, where miners work with their hands and basic tools for meagre daily wages, according to TRT World. With much of the country out of work, many young Sudanese have joined a dangerous gold rush in largely unregulated mines, according to RTHK, which cites AFP. Miners are exposed to hazardous chemicals including cyanide and mercury that cause widespread illnesses in nearby areas. The European Union in July banned the sale, transfer and export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan over their use in the exploitative gold trade, according to TRT World.

West Kordofan has been held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since the group's war with Sudan's army began in April 2023, according to Al Jazeera. Sudan's gold industry, valued at billions of dollars, has remained a crucial source of funding for both sides of the conflict, with nearly all of the gold extracted flowing to the United Arab Emirates, according to RTHK, citing AFP. Much of the country's gold is reportedly smuggled abroad, including to the UAE, according to Africanews. The Sudan Doctors Network said mining activities in areas under RSF control, in the absence of safety standards and rescue equipment, turn mining into a direct threat to the lives of civilians.

Even before the civil war pushed nearly 20 million Sudanese into severe hunger, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, according to TRT World, citing industry figures. Sudan ranks among Africa's leading gold producers, and most of its output comes from dangerous, informal mining at disused or unofficial sites, according to Al Jazeera. Mine collapses are common across Sudan, including in the north and east where young men sneak into decommissioned shafts to earn a day's wage, according to TRT World. The Kordofan Observatory said fragile, sandy ground conditions were hampering attempts by local residents to reach the trapped miners using basic tools.

Rescuers face a difficult race against time to reach an unknown number of people still trapped under the rubble, with heavy machinery needed to clear rock and soil, according to Africanews. The death toll is expected to rise, according to the Sudan Doctors Network, which called for the search to continue and for medical and logistical help to be provided. The network also urged those in control of the area to end unregulated mining. An RSF spokesperson said rescue efforts are continuing, according to mining.com.au, which cites AFP. The Kordofan Observatory told Reuters that one survivor emerged from the mine on Tuesday and that others were believed to still be alive underground.