At least 60 miners dead after gold mine collapse in Sudan's West Kordofan

At least 60 small-scale miners have been killed after a gold mine collapsed in Sudan's West Kordofan region, according to the latest confirmed reports. Many others are still missing, and rescue work is continuing at the site. The collapse began on Tuesday after two shafts dug close together gave way.

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Survivors said they do not know how many people remain trapped underground. One surviving miner said an overnight rescue operation has been under way since the collapse. He said fellow miners have been digging with the same rudimentary tools used for mining, because heavy machinery is not readily available at small-scale sites.

The lack of equipment is slowing efforts to reach anyone still buried under rock and soil. The survivor said workers need heavy machinery to clear the debris, but that such equipment is often not available at these operations. The scale of the disaster has raised concern because the number of dead is already high and the number of missing remains unclear.

The collapse comes as gold mining has become increasingly important in Sudan since the civil war began in April 2023. The industry has become a significant source of revenue in an economy devastated by conflict. That wider context gives the accident added significance, because small-scale mining is part of a sector that now carries more weight for the country's finances.

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Sudan has been in conflict since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The war has driven what is described as the world's largest displacement crisis, and nearly 20 million people are facing crisis-level hunger. Against that backdrop, a major mining disaster adds further strain to a country already under severe humanitarian pressure.

What remains unclear is the final death toll and whether any more survivors can be reached. It is also not known how many people were working in the mine when the shafts gave way. The rescue effort is continuing, and the situation may change as more information becomes available from the site.

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