Disaster in Sudan: At least 60 people killed in gold mine collapse

At least 60 people were killed in a gold mine collapse in West Kordofan, Sudan. The local monitoring group Kordofan Observatory reported that more than 70 were killed or missing. A survivor who emerged from the mine on Tuesday said there may still be people trapped alive. Local residents are attempting rescue efforts with basic tools, without professional assistance.

At least 60 people were killed in a gold mine collapse in West Kordofan state, Sudan. The disaster occurred on Sunday at the al-Zara mine in the Fuja area, northwest of the city of al-Nuhud, according to a report by Reuters news agency. The local monitoring group Kordofan Observatory reported that more than 70 mine workers were killed or declared missing after a series of adjacent mining shafts collapsed. A survivor who managed to exit the mine on Tuesday said there are still people alive under the rubble. The organization called for accelerating rescue efforts, as professional rescue teams have not yet arrived at the site. The sandy and unstable ground is making it difficult for local residents, who are trying to extract trapped individuals and locate bodies using only basic tools. It was also reported that three local sources estimated the high death toll is due to a lack of safety procedures and rescue equipment at the remote mine. Sudan is considered one of the largest gold producers in Africa, but much of the country's gold is extracted through manual and dangerous mining.