Atbara, July 15 (Darfur24)
At least 12 artisanal miners were killed after a mining well collapsed in the Dar Mali area of River Nile State, northern Sudan, according to eyewitnesses and local sources.
The incident occurred on Monday while the miners were working inside a traditional gold mining well.
Ismail Ibrahim, an eyewitness, told Darfur24 that the well collapsed completely, trapping the miners underground. He said three of the victims were from Qureida, about 90 kilometers south of Nyala in South Darfur, while the others were from Gedaref and White Nile states.
He added that rescue teams have so far been unable to recover the bodies because the collapsed well remains filled with rocks.
Abubakr Musa, a relative of one of the victims, said his relative, Omar Saleh Abdel Shafi from Qureida, died in the accident. He said the family had been officially informed of his death, but had not been able to retrieve his body because of the dangerous conditions inside the well.
The accident comes less than a week after another mining well collapse killed 15 artisanal miners and injured one in the Samna area of Wadi Halfa locality in Northern State.
The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company said it deployed emergency teams to the site to conduct rescue operations, recover the victims and oversee follow-up procedures.
The company said the Samna mine had already been closed after technical assessments found it unsafe and at risk of collapse. It said miners entered the site despite warnings and a ban on operating inside the mine.
The company reiterated that mine closures are based on technical and engineering assessments aimed at protecting lives and urged miners to comply with safety regulations and avoid entering closed mines.