A collapse at a gold mine in a remote area of Sudan has left at least 82 dead. Rescuers continued the search for the missing on Wednesday with limited equipment.
Incident Details
The incident occurred at the Al-Zara gold mine in the Nuhud area, located in West Kordofan, which is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces. This group has been fighting the Sudanese army for the past three years.
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Suleiman Abuhmida, a member of the emergency response rooms, stated that by Wednesday afternoon, 82 bodies had been recovered from the rubble. He added, "But dozens are still missing." The emergency response rooms are a grassroots network that monitors conflicts and supports communities in Sudan.
Rescue Challenges
A local official also reported that 82 bodies have been recovered. He explained that the collapse began on Sunday in one of the mine's shafts and spread to other connected shafts. Only one private forklift is available for rescue efforts, complicating the search for survivors.
Kheiralsayed Ghabbara, one of the survivors, said in a phone interview: "This collapse is very large, and the situation is very dire." He noted that the necessary machinery to remove soil and debris is not available.
The Al-Zara gold mine is one of thousands of small and informal mines in Sudan that operate in a war that has caused famine in some areas. Despite Sudan being a major gold producer, deadly mine collapses are not uncommon in the country.
The Sudan Doctors Network, which is active in monitoring the war in the country, reported that 67 bodies have been recovered from the rubble and predicts that the death toll may rise. This group noted that this mine—a site that employs informal workers—lacks minimum safety and protective measures.
This collapse occurred amid a full-scale war in Sudan that has been ongoing since April 2023. The fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army has so far claimed at least 59,000 lives.
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Source: abcnews.com
