At least 82 people have died after an informal gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan, while dozens of workers remain missing as rescuers struggle to reach underground shafts with limited equipment.

Short Article:

A deadly mining disaster has struck Sudan’s West Kordofan state, where the collapse of the al-Zara gold mine near Nuhud has killed at least 82 people.

Local officials and emergency responders said rescuers recovered 82 bodies by September 16, while dozens of miners remained unaccounted for beneath collapsed soil and rubble. The mine consists of interconnected shafts, with the collapse spreading from one section to others.

Rescue operations have faced major difficulties. Reports said rescuers had access to only one privately owned forklift, while some trapped workers were believed to be more than 30 metres underground.

The al-Zara site is an informal mining operation and reportedly lacked basic worker-safety measures and specialised rescue equipment. Sudan has thousands of small-scale and informal gold mines, where deadly collapses have occurred previously.

The disaster has added another emergency to a country already facing a prolonged war and severe humanitarian pressures.