82 workers were killed and dozens injured in the collapse of a gold mine in West Kordofan

82 workers were killed and dozens injured in the collapse of a gold mine in West Kordofan

Published 16 September 2026, 16:05 GMT

Last updated 1 minute ago

Reading time: 2 minutes

The death toll from the collapse of a gold mine in West Kordofan, Sudan, rose on Tuesday to 82 people, according to what an official in the local administration in West Kordofan of the Rapid Support Forces that controls the region told AFP on Wednesday.

The Kordofan Local Observatory, which is concerned with defending rights, reported that some miners may be alive underground, and called for urgent rescue efforts.

The spokesman for the Al-Nahud city emergency room, Suleiman Abu Hamida, previously reported to the BBC that a collapse occurred in traditional gold mining mines in the village of Al-Raqiq, located in the Al-Nahud area, inside the Al-Zaraa mine in West Kordofan state.

Abu Hamida said that there were three survivors with varying fractures who were recovered from the demolished mines, amid fears of an increase in the death toll and injuries due to the presence of detainees underground, and as a result of the cessation of health care center services in the city of Nahud after the Rapid Support Forces took control of it.

Preliminary information indicates that six deep, adjacent mines collapsed due to rainwater, which led to the collapse of a series of wells, and that among the miners working in this mine are prepubescent children.

No official body has yet issued a detailed statement about the accident or the final numbers of victims, while rescue teams continue their work in extremely dangerous conditions, according to what the sources reported.

Traditional gold prospecting is a major source of livelihood for thousands in Kordofan states, but it is work that lacks safety standards.

Reuters reported, citing the Kordofan Observatory, that one of the survivors reported the presence of people alive trapped underground.

Skip the most read and keep reading

Most read

Most read end

The Observatory confirmed to Reuters that specialized rescue teams had not intervened, while residents’ attempts to rescue the stranded and retrieve the bodies faced difficulties due to the fragile and sandy nature of the ground.

In the context of the ongoing war in Sudan, recent months have witnessed a noticeable expansion in the areas under the control of government forces at the expense of the Rapid Support Forces, especially in the center of the country, Kordofan, and Darfur.

Last week, the Sudanese army announced the strengthening of its control in North Kordofan state, by reclaiming the Hamrat al-Waz area of Jabrat al-Sheikh locality, after battles with the Rapid Support Forces.

Frequent accidents

Skip the podcast and keep reading

Worth paying attention to

An in-depth explanation of the most prominent events and topics, to help you understand the most important variables around you and their impact on your life

Episodes

End podcast

Agence France-Presse reported on the recurrence of such incidents across Sudan, adding that workers sneak into idle mines in the hope of obtaining low daily wages, in areas controlled by the army in the north and east of the country.

The Kordofan region, which extends between central and southern Sudan and is rich in resources, is spread across many informal mines unsafely dug by locals, making collapse accidents frequent and deadly, as dozens of young people work daily, according to the agency.

It quoted a worker in the mine called Al-Amin Suleiman, saying, “The wells in the area are adjacent, and demolishing any well leads to the demolition of the one next to it, and this is what happened.” He added, “There are people underground since yesterday, and I do not think they are alive.”

Agence France-Presse reported that the gold sector provided work for more than two million people in Sudan, even before the ongoing war led to famine.