A gold mine collapse in West Kordofan, Sudan, has claimed 82 lives and left 50 people injured. Rescue operations began Tuesday, with teams using basic tools to search for survivors in unstable, hand-dug shafts.
The 82 deaths and 50 injuries in West Kordofan
The disaster occurred at a small-scale gold mine in West Kordofan, where rescue workers—many of whom are fellow miners—have spent days sifting through rubble using only ropes, shovels, and ladders. According to the report, the death toll reached 82 following an overnight operation, while 50 others were reported injured. The site had already gained a reputation for its precarious structure and lack of safety machinery.
Survivor Khair al-Sayyed Jabara described the rescue scene as chaotic, noting that the unstable design of the mine made the effort to retrieve bodies and survivors a perilous endeavor.. the reliance on hand tools and minimal machinery in West Kordofan highlights the extreme vulnerability of the artisanal workforce pursuing meager wages in the region.
Why Al-Amin Suleiman warns of interconnected shaft collapses
The structural failure in West Kordofan was not an isolated incident but a symptom of how informal pits are constructed in the region. Miner Al-Amin Suleiman explained that the shafts are often positioned too close to one another, creating a dangerous proximity where a single collapse can trigger a chain reaction that brings down adjacent tunnels.
This pattern of unregulated drilling is common across northern and eastern Sudan, where decommissioned mines are frequently reopened by informal workers. Because these shafts operate with little to no official supervision, the risk of systemic collapse remains a constant threat to the young men who venture into these abandoned tunnels.
The EU's July ban on cyanide and mercury
Beyond the risk of collapse, artisanal miners in Sudan face severe chemical hazards. As the source reported, workers frequently expose themselves to mercury and cyanide during the gold extraction process. In response to these exploitative practices, the European Union banned the sale, transfer, and export of these dangerous substances to Sudan in July.
The desperation driving this dangerous work is rooted in a broader humanitarian crisis. While industry estimates suggest more than two million people in Sudan rely on artisanal mining for their livelihood, the country's economy is currently crippled by civil conflict. This instability has left nearly 20 million Sudanese residents facing severe food insecurity, making the risks of the gold mines a necessary gamble for survival.
RSF control and the barrier to large-scale rescue
The rescue efforts in West Kordofan have been severely hampered by the political landscape of the region. Both West Kordofan and the neighboring Darfur region are currently under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group accused of significant human rights violations.
The presence of the Rapid Support Forces creates significant obstacles for humanitarian and rescue teams. limited access to the site and potential security threats from the paramilitary group prevent the deployment of large-scale, professional rescue operations, leaving the task of saving lives to local miners with basic equipment.
Who is counting the unknown number of trapped miners?
A critical gap in the reporting remains the exact number of people still missing. While officials have confirmed 82 deaths, the source notes that an "unknown number" of workers remain trapped beneath the wreckage. Because these mines are informal and unregulated, there is likely no official registry of who was underground at the time of the collapse.
Furthermore, it remains unclear how the European Union's July ban on chemicals is being enforced on the ground in RSF-controlled territories. Without a centralized government or international oversight in West Kordofan, the effectiveness of these sanctions in protecting miners from cyanide and mercury poisoning remains unverified.
Comments 0