At least 60 feared dead in gold mine collapse in Sudan’s West Kordofan

At least 60 people have died after a gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan region, according to three local sources who spoke to Reuters on Wednesday.

The collapse occurred on Sunday at a remote mining site north of al-Nuhud, where workers were operating in makeshift shafts with limited safety measures, the sources said.

They attributed the high number of deaths to the absence of basic safety procedures and a lack of equipment needed to carry out rescue operations at the site. Sudan is among Africa’s major gold-producing countries, but much of its output comes from artisanal and small-scale mining operations.

Gold mining has also become an important source of income amid Sudan’s ongoing conflict, with significant quantities of the precious metal reportedly leaving the country through informal channels and smuggling networks.

West Kordofan, where the latest mine collapse occurred, is controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Gold production in the region is an important source of revenue for the group.

The collapse comes as Sudan continues to grapple with a devastating war between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which has disrupted economic activity and weakened infrastructure and public services across large parts of the country.

The remote location of the mine and the absence of adequate rescue resources have complicated efforts to recover those trapped beneath the collapsed workings, according to the local sources.