The death toll from the collapse of an informal gold mine in remote Sudan has risen to at least 82, with dozens more missing as rescuers struggle with inadequate equipment, local officials and activists said Wednesday.
The disaster occurred at the al-Zara gold mine in Nuhud, a town in West Kordofan province controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to local emergency responders and administration officials, the collapse began Sunday in one mine shaft before spreading through interconnected shafts. Rescuers pulled out 82 bodies by Wednesday, but search efforts remain severely hampered by a lack of heavy machinery, relying on a single forklift to search fragile, sandy soil at depths exceeding 30 meters.
The unregulated mine, stretching over one kilometer, lacked basic safety measures.
Sudan, a major gold producer where deadly mining accidents are common, has been engulfed in civil war between the RSF and the military since April 2023. UN experts note that gold smuggled from RSF-controlled regions helps fund the paramilitary group.