Death toll from gold mine collapse in Sudan rises to 82

The incident occurred on Tuesday in the Al-Zera'a mine near the city of Al-Nuhud in the southern state, and by Wednesday morning, paramedics had recovered 60 bodies.

The local administration source explained that the "rescue operations are being carried out in a primitive manner" and that the "sandy nature of the land has increased the collapses."

One of the survivors, Khair Al-Sayyid Jabara, said, "We do not know how many are still inside. People are making an effort to remove the dead or the living, but the situation is difficult. We need heavy machinery to lift the stones and dirt."

Since the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, both parties have relied heavily on the gold sector for funding their war effort, according to the United Nations, alongside support from external parties.

The conflict has severely damaged Sudan's already weak economy, and many Sudanese have lost their jobs, prompting many to engage in dangerous gold mining operations.

Manual mining is carried out in unofficial areas or in inactive mines.

Mine workers dig with their hands and use primitive tools for meager daily wages.

Inside the mines, many of which are not equipped, workers extract gold particles from rock masses, exposing them to hazardous chemicals such as cyanide, which causes the spread of diseases.