At least 11 miners have been killed and 30 others rescued after a gold mine shaft collapsed in northeastern Sudan, according to a state official, as rescue teams continue searching the site for people who may still be trapped beneath the debris.
The collapse occurred Saturday night in Oni, a remote area of Sudan’s northeastern Red Sea state, according to local authorities. The incident involved an informal gold mine, one of thousands of small-scale mining operations spread across the country.
An official from the state-owned Sudanese Mineral Resources Company said rescuers had recovered 11 bodies by Sunday, while 30 miners were pulled to safety. The search for additional victims was continuing, with rescue teams working amid difficult conditions.
The latest tragedy is the second deadly collapse at an informal gold mine in Sudan within a week. At least 82 people were killed after several mine shafts collapsed in al-Zara in West Kordofan, an area controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Mine collapses are a recurring danger in Sudan’s informal mining sector, where safety standards and specialized rescue equipment are often limited. The country is a major gold producer, but much of its gold is extracted through artisanal and small-scale operations.
The mining industry has also taken on greater importance during Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which began in April 2023. Experts and U.N.-commissioned reports have linked gold production and smuggling to financing for armed groups involved in the conflict.
The latest collapse adds to the humanitarian and economic pressures facing Sudan, where the war between the Sudanese military and the RSF has devastated communities and disrupted essential services.
Authorities and rescue workers are expected to continue searching the collapsed mine as they work to determine whether more miners remain missing.
The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of artisanal gold mining in Sudan and the need for stronger regulation, safer working conditions and better emergency response capabilities at mining sites.
Swifteradio.com
