Description

A collapse at the Al-Zaraa gold mine near Al-Nuhud in West Kordofan, Sudan, had killed over 80 people by September 16, 2026, according to the latest unofficial figures. Rescue and recovery operations continue, with an unknown number of miners still trapped or missing underground.
The collapse occurred at the Al-Zaraa gold mine in the Fouja area northwest of al-Nuhud, West Kordofan, at a small-scale mining site made up of multiple adjoining shafts. At least 80 miners were killed, while an unknown number remained trapped or missing as search and recovery operations continued on September 16.
Accounts differ over exactly when the failure began. A local administration official said one shaft collapsed on Sunday, September 13, before the failure spread through interconnected workings. Survivors and the Sudan Doctors Network placed the main collapse on Tuesday evening, September 15, while AFP’s survivor accounts also said shafts began collapsing Tuesday.
One miner who was working at the edge of Al-Zaraa described the shafts as being dug very close together. He said that when one shaft failed, it brought down neighboring shafts with it.
Another survivor said rescuers were trying to reach miners at depths of more than 30 m (98 feet), with collapsed soil, rock and debris blocking access. AP reported that dozens of people had been working in the mine when the collapse occurred.
Search operations began immediately and continued through the night. Survivors said miners and local residents used the same hand tools normally used for mining to dig through the collapsed material and look for survivors and bodies. Heavy earth-moving equipment was reportedly not available at the site.
A local administration official said only one privately owned forklift was available for the rescue operation. The Kordofan Observatory said no specialized rescue teams had intervened when it issued its account on September 16, while fragile, sandy ground was making excavation more difficult for residents working with basic tools.
The observatory officials said one survivor emerged after the collapse and reported that other miners were still alive underground. The group appealed for urgent rescue assistance as residents continued trying to reach those trapped and recover bodies.
The Al-Zaraa site lies in territory controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The Sudan Doctors Network called for search operations to continue and for medical and logistical assistance to be provided. It also called on those controlling the area to address unregulated mining and said the Al-Zaraa site lacked basic safety and protective measures for workers.
The number of dead remained unsettled on September 16 as bodies continued to be recovered. Reuters reported at least 60 fatalities, while the Kordofan Observatory said more than 70 miners were dead or missing.
While AP reported at least 67 deaths, citing the Sudan Doctors Network and survivors, an anonymous local administration official separately told AP that 82 bodies had been recovered and that dozens more miners remained missing.
A later AFP report also placed the toll at 82 dead, citing an anonymous RSF administration source. The source said another 50 people had been injured and an unknown number remained trapped. AFP reported that 60 bodies had been recovered by Wednesday morning and another 22 were subsequently found.
Previous mine collapses in Sudan’s small-scale mining sector killed 14 miners in 2023 and 38 in 2021.