At least 67 people were killed after the Al-Zara gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, with search operations continuing for survivors, the Sudan Doctors Network said Wednesday.
“More than 67 people were killed” when the mine collapsed near Al-Nuhud in West Kordofan, which is under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the independent medical network said in a statement.
It said search operations were still underway for survivors or people trapped under the rubble, warning that the death toll could rise due to the mine’s lack of basic safety and protection measures for workers.
The network condemned “the negligence that had put miners’ lives at risk,” saying that mining in areas controlled by the RSF, without safety requirements or adequate protection and rescue equipment, “turns work into a direct risk to civilians’ lives.”
It called for search-and-rescue operations to continue and for the provision of the medical and logistical resources needed to deal with the disaster.
The Sudan Doctors Network also urged authorities controlling the area to “assume responsibility for protecting civilians and mining workers and to halt unregulated mining activities to prevent similar accidents.”
Artisanal mining employs more than 2 million people across Sudan under harsh conditions and accounts for about 80% of the country’s total gold production.
The Sudanese government does not prohibit artisanal mining but has sought to regulate the sector, which provides livelihoods for large numbers of Sudanese despite its risks.
Gold is a major source of foreign currency for Sudan after the country lost three-quarters of its oil revenues following South Sudan’s independence in July 2011, along with about 80% of its foreign-exchange resources.
Sudan has been gripped by war between the army and the RSF since April 2023, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced about 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.
