Al-Nuhud, September 16 (Darfur24)
Dozens of local miners were killed or remain trapped after the collapse of the Al-Zar’a gold mine in the Foga area of Al-Nuhud locality, West Kordofan State, according to eyewitnesses.
Witnesses told Darfur24 that the accident occurred on Sunday after six adjacent mine shafts collapsed, burying dozens of miners underground.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by the shafts’ depth and size and a lack of equipment. Witnesses said some victims were believed to remain alive beneath the rubble but could not be reached.
One survivor reportedly escaped after spending three days underground and told people at the site that other miners were still alive beneath the debris. He later fainted and was taken to hospital.
According to the sources, six miners survived the collapse, some suffering fractures of varying severity, while the fate of many others remains unknown.
Volunteers recovered about three bodies and buried them, but were unable to retrieve the remaining victims because of the depth of the shafts and the lack of equipment.
“We have no choice but to turn the mine shafts into a mass grave,” one witness said, citing the depth of the shafts and the lack of resources to recover those trapped underground.
The incident highlights the risks faced by artisanal miners in Sudan, where poorly constructed mine shafts are vulnerable to collapse and specialized rescue teams and equipment are scarce.
Artisanal mining has expanded as the war has reduced employment opportunities and pushed up the cost of living, prompting more people to turn to gold mining as a source of income.