At least 82 people have died following the collapse of a gold mine in West Kordofan state, Sudan, local sources and officials reported on Wednesday. The incident occurred late Tuesday at the al-Zaraa gold mine near the town of al-Nuhud, an area controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been engaged in conflict with Sudan’s military since 2023.

The collapse affected a series of interconnected mining shafts, trapping dozens of artisanal miners underground. Survivors and local authorities described an ongoing and difficult rescue effort predominantly relying on rudimentary tools and the efforts of fellow miners and residents, as no specialized rescue teams were reportedly on site.

Khair al-Sayyed Jabara, a survivor of the collapse, told reporters that he and others spent the night digging through loose sand and debris in hopes of reaching trapped individuals, emphasizing the urgent need for heavy machinery to effectively clear the rubble. “We don’t know how many more are still inside,” he said. Another miner, Al-Amin Suleiman, noted that the shafts are situated very close together, causing a domino effect when one collapses, bringing down adjacent shafts and complicating rescue operations.

The West Kordofan mine is part of Sudan’s largely informal and unregulated artisanal gold mining sector. Many young workers, affected by the country’s ongoing conflict and economic challenges, have turned to gold mining as a source of income despite hazardous working conditions. The sector is characterized by minimal safety standards, lack of proper equipment, and exposure to toxic chemicals such as cyanide and mercury, which have led to health and environmental concerns. This worked is often carried out in decommissioned or unofficial mining sites, making collapses a recurring hazard.

The Rapid Support Forces control the area where the al-Zaraa mine is located, and some of those involved in the mining business and the local administrator providing updates spoke under conditions of anonymity, citing restrictions on speaking to the media. Officials confirmed at least 50 wounded individuals remain hospitalized, while the number of people still trapped underground remains unknown. Rescue workers and survivors continue searching amid warnings that the death toll could rise.

Sudan's gold trade remains a critical economic factor for all parties engaged in the conflict. Mining revenue reportedly supports both the RSF and the Sudanese military, with much of the extracted gold reportedly exported to the United Arab Emirates. However, the UAE has denied allegations of supplying arms to the RSF. In response to concerns over the exploitative and unsafe gold mining practices, the European Union recently banned the export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan.

Sudan’s history of artisanal mine collapses includes a 2023 incident that killed 14 miners and a 2021 collapse that resulted in 38 deaths. The latest disaster highlights ongoing safety challenges in the country’s informal gold mining sector amid continuing political instability and armed conflict.