Sudan gold mine collapse kills at least 82 people with many more missing
A gold mine collapse in Sudan's West Kordofan province has resulted in at least 82 deaths, with many more individuals still missing. Rescue efforts are severely hampered by a lack of heavy machinery and the ongoing conflict in the region.
Why it matters
The tragedy underscores the dangers of informal mining and the humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the ongoing war in Sudan.
The death toll from the collapse of an informal gold mine in a remote area of Sudan has risen to 82, according to local officials and activists, as rescuers struggled on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) to search for the missing with limited equipment.
It is the latest tragedy in a nation mired in a devastating war.
Survivors said the collapse happened at the al-Zara gold mine, in Nuhud, a town in West Kordofan province, which is controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have been fighting against the Sudanese military for over three years.
Suleiman Abu Hmeida, a member of the Emergency Response Rooms, said rescuers pulled out 82 bodies by Wednesday afternoon (September 16, 2026). “But dozens remain unaccounted for,” Abu Hmeida said.
The Emergency Response Rooms is a grassroots network that monitors the conflict and provides support for communities across war-torn Sudan.
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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