KHARTOUM, SUDAN | At least six people have been confirmed dead and about 20 others remain missing after a traditional gold mine collapsed in River Nile State, northern Sudan, officials and volunteer groups reported on Saturday.
“The collapse occurred yesterday (Friday) at one of the mines in the Um Oud area, west of Berber city,” said Hassan Ibrahim Karar, executive director of the Berber locality. He added that search efforts are ongoing to rescue those still believed to be trapped under the rubble.
The Sudan Doctors Network, a volunteer medical group, confirmed the fatalities and reported that nine injured miners were transferred to Atbara Hospital for treatment. The group blamed the tragedy on poor regulation, the absence of safety measures, and what it called “chaos” in the artisanal mining sector. It urged authorities to shut down unsafe mines, provide safer alternatives for miners, and hold negligent operators accountable.
Traditional gold mining remains a pillar of Sudan’s fragile economy, employing an estimated 1.5 million artisanal miners and accounting for about 80 percent of the country’s total gold production. Official figures show Sudan produced roughly 64 tonnes of gold in 2024.
Since losing three-quarters of its oil revenue after South Sudan’s secession in 2011, Sudan has increasingly relied on gold exports as a critical source of foreign currency. But frequent mine collapses continue to expose the human cost of the poorly regulated sector.