Nearly a hundred miners have perished in less than a week following two gold mine collapses in Sudan. Ten people were killed on Saturday in a mine located in the north of the country, near the Egyptian border, while on Tuesday, September 16, at least 82 people died in the collapse of another artisanal mine in the Kordofan region, in the south.
In the second accident, rescue operations continued throughout the night. Ten bodies were recovered by Sunday morning, and 21 injured miners were pulled from the galleries, according to two survivors interviewed by AFP. Searches were ongoing to locate any other potential victims.
Regarding the first accident at the Al-Zaraa artisanal mine in Kordofan, the initial death toll of 60 was revised to 82 after 22 additional bodies were extracted from the rubble. About 50 injuries were also reported, while an undetermined number of miners remained missing at the start of rescue operations.
Rescue operations have been hampered by a lack of specialized equipment. In both cases, miners and local residents had to rely on rudimentary tools to search for survivors and recover bodies. Survivors highlighted the desperate need for heavy machinery to clear rocks and earth.
These accidents underscore the extreme risks associated with artisanal gold mining in Sudan, where informal operations often lack basic safety measures. Since the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), gold has become a central resource in the conflict’s economy, with both sides profiting from the trade. Amidst a severe economic and humanitarian crisis, many Sudanese are driven to artisanal mining for survival, despite the dangerous conditions and exposure to toxic substances like cyanide.
Sudan remains one of Africa’s leading gold producers. While the state-owned Sudanese Mineral Resources Company reported a record production of 70 tons in 2025, much of this trade is now under international scrutiny. The UK and the EU have imposed sanctions on the Sudanese gold trade, aiming to cut off funding for the ongoing conflict and the acquisition of weapons.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-21 11:53:48 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.2424.mg/afrique-de-lest-pres-de-100-mineurs-meurent-dans-des-effondrements-de-mines-dor-en-moins-dune-semaine-au-soudan/