At least 82 killed in gold mine collapse in remote area of Sudan, paramilitary RSF say

The toll from the collapse of a gold mine in southern Sudan reached 82 dead with another 50 wounded, a source in the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which controls the area, told AFP.

"There is an unknown number of people still trapped under the rubble and rescue efforts are being conducted with rudimentary methods," he said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media on behalf of the RSF's parallel administration.

The tragedy happened in al-Zara gold mine in the town of Nuhud in West Kordofan province. The area is under the control of the paramilitary RSF, which has been at war with the country’s military for over three years.

Survivors said the collapse occurred late Tuesday and many people remain missing at the mine.

The medical group said the death toll could increase as search and rescue operations were still ongoing in search of survivors or people trapped beneath the rubble.

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Al-Amin Suliman, a miner, said there were people trapped inside the mine, which includes several shafts.

Khairal-Sayed Gabara, a survivor, described the collapse as “massive", adding that machinery required to remove the collapsed soil and rubble wasn’t readily available.

Read more'World's largest humanitarian crisis Thirty five million Sudanese need humanitarian assistance'

Sudan is a major gold producer, but mine collapses are common due to poor safety standards.

Similar incidents in recent years include a 2023 collapse that killed 14 miners and one in 2021 that claimed 38 lives.

(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)