At least 14 workers dead in gold mind collapse in Sudan

At least 14 workers died after a gold mine collapsed in northern Sudan, state mining authorities said Friday.

According to the state-run news agency, SUNA, the fatal collapse happened after one of the hillsides that surround the Jebel al-Ahmar gold mine – situated near the Egyptian border – gave way Thursday afternoon.

Many other miners are still missing among the rubble, it said.

Witnesses cited by SUNA said the workers were searching inside mining wells for gold using heavy machinery which caused the collapse.

Several of the bodies, mostly of young men, have been recovered from the site and search efforts are ongoing, SUNA said.

A security source cited by the state agency said workers are feared to be trapped beneath the mine’s groundwater. Few further details were given.

Collapses are common in Sudan’s gold mines, where safety standards and maintenance are poor.

In 2021, 31 people were killed after a defunct gold mine collapsed in West Kordofan province.

Sudan is a major gold producer with various mines scattered across the country.