Death toll tops 80 in West Kordofan mine disaster as rescue effort falters

At least 80 people have died after a gold mine collapsed near El Nahud in West Kordofan, according to a local administration official. A further 50 people are injured, while the number still trapped underground remains unknown.

The collapse at El Zara mine, in the Foga administrative unit west of El Nahud, occurred on Sunday evening. Rescue efforts are being carried out with rudimentary equipment, the official says, while the mine’s sandy terrain has triggered further collapses.

Surviving miners say they do not know how many people remain trapped in the mine’s shafts.

Earlier reports put the combined number of dead and missing at more than 70, while the Sudan Doctors Network reported at least 67 deaths as rescue operations continued. The latest figure of 82 deaths was given by a West Kordofan local administration official, who also confirmed 50 injuries.

Slow rescue effort, no official response

Murtada Ahmed, spokesman for the Kordofan Human Rights Observatory, tells Radio Dabanga that search and rescue operations are proceeding extremely slowly, with almost no specialised equipment available for such an accident.

Local residents and miners are relying largely on their own efforts, using basic machinery such as loaders to try to recover those killed or trapped beneath the rubble.

Despite appeals to the relevant authorities for urgent intervention, there has so far been no recorded official response to the disaster, Ahmed says.

Remote site under RSF control

El Zara area is entirely controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Ahmed says. It is tightly sealed off and difficult to reach, creating an additional obstacle to the deployment of specialised rescue teams.

More than 5,000 traditional miners are working at El Zara mine, according to Ahmed. Most moved to the area after the RSF captured El Nahud and much of Kordofan.

Many turned to gold mining after losing their previous livelihoods in trade, pastoralism, and farming. For them, the mine has become a last resort for earning a living.

State absence and safety risks

Ahmed says there is almost no state presence at the mine, leaving workers without meaningful safety measures or protection. The area’s sandy terrain makes mine shafts particularly vulnerable to collapse once they reach certain depths, while inadequate safety precautions contribute to repeated accidents.

The dangers extend beyond collapses. Reports warn of potential environmental and health risks from chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, which are used to extract gold and can cause illness among miners and nearby communities.

Miners at Zara face serious risks every day without any authority overseeing their safety or helping them work in safer conditions, Ahmed says. Calls are growing for urgent intervention to rescue anyone still trapped and prevent further disasters of this kind.

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Note: This report has been translated from Arabic with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools, and subsequently reviewed and adapted by a human editor before publication.