Sudan gold mine collapse kills six in South Kordofan

Six people were killed when a gold mine collapsed in Sudan’s southern state of South Kordofan, according to a local non-governmental organisation. 

The Sudan Doctors Network said in a statement on Friday that it was calling for intensified rescue operations and urgent medical support for those injured, following its latest assessment of casualties in the Abu Jubaiha district. 

"A gold mine collapse in Abu Jubaiha has killed 6 miners and injured 12 others. The fate of dozens remains unknown, as they were trapped under the rubble at the time of this statement," the Sudan Doctors Network said. 

The group urged authorities to introduce stronger protections for miners, including enforceable safety standards, training programmes and regular inspections, in order to prevent similar incidents. 

It also accused institutions of negligence, saying the failure to properly enforce existing laws had placed miners’ lives at risk.  

The organisation called for accountability and concrete action to stop such tragedies from recurring. 

The incident is the latest in a series of deadly mining accidents in Sudan.  

In September last year, six people were killed and nine others injured in a gold mine collapse in the Al-Baouqa area of River Nile State in northern Sudan. 

In June 2025, a partial collapse of a traditional gold mine in the country’s north-east left 11 miners dead. 

As Sudan’s devastating civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) enters its fourth year following its outbreak in April 2023, gold revenues have become a key source of funding for both sides.  

Rights groups say that much of Sudan’s gold trade is routed through the United Arab Emirates, which has been accused of supplying arms to the RSF- a claim the UAE denies. 

Despite the ongoing conflict, small-scale and artisanal gold mining remains central to Sudan’s fragile economy. 

After South Sudan seceded in 2011, Sudan lost around 80 percent of its foreign currency earnings and three-quarters of its oil revenues, prompting a shift towards gold production.  

Gold now accounts for roughly 80 percent of Sudan’s exports, with artisanal mining providing a vital but largely unregulated source of income. 

While authorities have previously said they intend to regulate artisanal mining, it has not been banned.  

Alongside mining sites that have been said to lack basic safety measures, local media also reports that the use of hazardous chemicals has contributed to widespread health problems in surrounding communities.