Sudan Gold Mine Collapse Kills At Least 67, Dozens Missing

A collapse at the al-Zara/Al-Zaraa gold mine near Nuhud/El-Nahud in West Kordofan killed scores of artisanal miners. AP-sourced reports put deaths at at least 67; AFP/Reuters-linked accounts at at least 60 by Wednesday. The Kordofan Observatory said more than 70 were dead or missing. The site is held by the Rapid Support Forces, at war with Sudan's military since April 2023. Survivors said connected shafts gave way in sequence. Khair al-Sayyed Jabara called the collapse massive, said fellow miners rescued overnight with basic mining tools, and said heavy machinery is needed and it is unknown how many remain inside. Al-Amin Suleiman said 60 bodies had been pulled out and those trapped since the day before were unlikely alive. The Observatory cited a survivor who emerged Tuesday reporting others still alive and said loose sandy soil and no specialized teams hampered recovery. Outlets differ on the toll and on whether the collapse was late Tuesday or Sunday. Prior collapses killed 14 in 2023 and 38 in 2021. Sudan is a leading African gold producer; official figures cited 70 tonnes last year. Search continued and the toll could rise.