Gold mine collapse in Sudan kills at least 82 people

At least 82 people have died after a gold mine collapsed in Nuhud, western Sudan, on Sunday. Rescuers found the bodies by Wednesday afternoon. Dozens more people are still missing and are feared dead under the sand and rubble.

The collapse started in one shaft at the al-Zara mine and then spread to connected shafts nearby. Rescue teams had very little equipment. Only one forklift was available, so many workers used basic hand tools through the night.

The mine is informal, which means it has no proper safety oversight. Most gold mining in Sudan works this way. Similar collapses have killed miners in 2021 and 2023. Sudan is also fighting a war between its military and a paramilitary group that controls the area around the mine.