Gold Mine Collapse in Sudan Leaves 82 Dead

The collapse of an informal gold mine left 82 people dead in a remote region of Sudan on Wednesday. Another 50 people were injured and it is believed that there are still more victims under the rubble. The accident occurred at the Al-Zaraa mine near the town of El-Nahud in West Kordofan, and mobilized rescue teams working with precarious tools.

The tragedy exposes the risks of artisanal mining in a country ravaged by civil war. Since the start of the war between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (FAR) in April 2023, gold mines have financed the war effort of both sides. The conflict has devastated Sudan's already fragile economy and left much of the country jobless, pushing many into a dangerous gold rush.

The crash began on Tuesday and the rescue remains precarious

The wells of the Al-Zaraa mine near the town of El-Nahud in West Kordofan began to collapse on Tuesday. Rescue operations continued throughout the night with the help of other workers, who used the same rudimentary tools they employ to extract gold. "The rescue work is being carried out with rudimentary methods," an official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The lack of heavy equipment hinders the removal of rocks and earth, increasing the risk of further collapses. “Everyone is working hard to recover the bodies or find survivors, but it’s difficult. We need heavy machinery to remove the rocks and the earth," one of the survivors, Khair al-Sayyed Jabara, told France Presse. The situation is aggravated by the remote location of the mine, which makes it difficult to access specialized aid.

Proximity between wells extended the tragedy

Al-Amin Suleiman, another miner who worked on Tuesday near Al-Zaraa, told AFP that "the wells are very close to each other; if one collapses, it knocks down all those who are next to it." This configuration, common in informal mines, turned an initial collapse into a chain reaction. "There are still people buried. I can't believe they're alive," he said.

Small-scale, artisanal mining, run in abandoned mines or in unofficial areas such as Al-Zaraa, accounts for most of the gold mined in Sudan. Without oversight or safety standards, workers dig deep and narrow wells, often without proper scoring. The result is a high-risk scenario, where accidents like this week are repeated frequently.

Civil war drives gold rush

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the FAR, which began in April 2023, devastated the country’s economy and left much of the population unemployed. In this context, gold mining has become one of the few sources of income for thousands of families. Informal mines, such as Al-Zaraa, attract desperate workers in search of sustenance, even in the face of obvious dangers.

In addition to serving as a means of survival, the gold mined in these areas also finances the war effort of the two conflicting parties. The dispute over control of mines and ore flow routes intensified violence in regions such as West Kordofan. The tragedy of Wednesday is therefore not an isolated event, but a reflection of a wider humanitarian and economic crisis.

Rescue continues and the number of victims may increase

Rescue teams continue to work on the site, but hopes of finding survivors dwindle every hour. The official, who was heard by France Presse, did not detail how many people were still buried, but said the work was continuing. The lack of heavy machinery and the instability of the terrain make the operation slow and risky.

Meanwhile, relatives of the victims await news amid mourning and uncertainty. The community of El-Nahud, already affected by war and poverty, now faces yet another collective loss. The collapse in Al-Zaraa reinforces the urgency of security measures in artisanal mining, but the continuation of the conflict hinders any effective action by the authorities.

The tragedy in Sudan serves as a warning to the risks of unregulated mineral exploration, a problem that also affects other regions of Africa and the world. As long as the war persists, the gold rush must continue, and with it, the danger to thousands of workers.

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