NUHUD — A gold mine collapse occurred at the al-Zara gold mine in Nuhud, West Kordofan province, Sudan. The Sudan Doctors Network reported at least 67 deaths resulting from the collapse.

Local sources that at least 60 people were killed in the collapse. A local administration official stated that 82 bodies had been recovered as of Wednesday.

The Kordofan Observatory monitoring group reported at least 70 miners killed or missing. Rescue teams recovered 60 bodies by dawn on Wednesday, with another 22 found later that day.

A local administration official stated that the collapse began on Sunday in one of the mine shafts and spread to the other interconnected shafts. Al-Amin Suliman said 60 bodies had been recovered as of Wednesday morning.

"There are still people stuck inside," Suliman said. Khairal-Sayed Gabara said the collapse was "massive." Gabara said, "There were dozens of people working in the mine." He added that the machinery needed to remove the collapsed soil and rubble was not available, complicating the search for survivors.

The Sudan Doctors Network stated the death toll could increase as rescuers continued to search for people trapped under rubble. The Sudan Doctors Network called for search-and-rescue operations to continue.

West Kordofan province is controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has been fighting against the Sudanese military for over three years.

The Kordofan Observatory stated the mine site stretches over 1 kilometer across fragile, sandy soil. The Sudan Doctors Network, a medical group tracking the war in Sudan, was established in 2020 to document humanitarian crises and provide on-the-ground medical reporting during the conflict.

Why It Matters

The collapse shows the dangers of unregulated mining in areas affected by ongoing conflict. West Kordofan province is under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has been fighting the Sudanese military for over three years. The Sudan Doctors Network reported that mining in these areas lacks basic safety measures.

Rescue efforts are hampered by a severe lack of equipment, with only one privately owned forklift available. Survivors stated that machinery to remove debris at depths of more than 30 meters is not accessible. The death toll may rise as rescuers continue to search for people trapped under rubble.

What's New

The Sudan Doctors Network reported that at least 67 people were killed when the mine collapsed near Al-Nuhud in West Kordofan, which is under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and called for search-and-rescue operations to continue. The Kordofan Observatory, which reported on the 2026 al-Zara mine collapse, documented three prior mine-related fatalities in West Kordofan between 2018 and 2022, including a 2020 incident that killed 12 miners.

A local administrator stated that around 50 people were injured in the collapse. West Kordofan province has a history of conflict, including a 2011 armed conflict between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), which displaced thousands and destabilized the region.

The Sudan Doctors Network reported that the al-Zara gold mine, where the collapse occurred, lacked basic safety and protective measures for workers, and that mining in areas controlled by the RSF is unregulated. The Sudan Doctors Network condemned the negligence that put miners’ lives at risk and warned that the death toll could rise due to the mine’s lack of basic safety and protection measures for workers.

How Sources Differ

The Sudan Doctors Network report stated that at least 67 deaths resulted from the collapse.