At least 82 people have died and about 50 others injured after a gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s West Kordofan State, with an unknown number of miners feared trapped under the rubble.
Rescue teams and fellow miners worked through the night using basic tools to recover the victims, retrieving 60 bodies by dawn and another 22 on Wednesday.
A local administrator said about 50 people were injured in the collapse, while the number of people still missing remained unknown.
The incident highlights the dangers in Sudan’s largely unregulated gold-mining sector, where millions of people depend on small-scale mining for their livelihoods.
Many miners work in unstable shafts with limited safety equipment and rudimentary tools, increasing the risk of mine collapses and other accidents.
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Gold has also become an important source of revenue for rival sides in Sudan’s ongoing war, now in its fourth year.
Much of the country’s gold is reportedly smuggled abroad, including to the United Arab Emirates.
Rescue efforts remain difficult as heavy machinery is required to reach those who may still be trapped, with rescuers racing against time in a region already severely affected by the conflict.
Africanews
