At least 82 people have been killed after an informal gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan State, with dozens of others still feared trapped under the rubble.
The collapse occurred at the al-Zara gold mine near Nuhud, an area controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting Sudan’s military since 2023.
Local officials and activists said rescuers had recovered 82 bodies by Wednesday, while the number of people still missing remained unknown.
Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by a lack of heavy equipment. According to a local official, only one privately owned forklift was available to assist with the operation, while parts of the mine are more than 30 metres deep.
Survivors said miners and local residents had been using basic tools to search through the collapsed soil and rubble for victims. One survivor, Khairal-Sayed Gabara, said the situation was “massive” and that the machinery needed to clear the site was unavailable.
The al-Zara mine is one of thousands of informal and small-scale mining sites across Sudan, where safety standards are often poorly enforced. Previous mine collapses in the country have also resulted in dozens of deaths.
The disaster has drawn renewed attention to the dangers faced by informal miners in Sudan, where the ongoing conflict has also disrupted emergency response and other public services.
The search for survivors and victims was continuing as authorities and local residents worked to clear the rubble.
