A gold mine collapsed in West Kordofan, Sudan, killing at least 60 people.

What it means

A gold mine collapse in West Kordofan province, Sudan, has killed at least 60 informal miners. The accident occurred at the al-Zara mine near the town of Nuhud, an area controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Survivor and medical reports indicate dozens more are missing, with the death toll potentially higher. The disaster underscores the extreme safety risks in Sudan's unregulated artisanal gold mining sector, which has expanded amid the country's civil war.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim is solid, reported by multiple reputable news outlets (France 24, Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera) citing survivors and a medical group as primary sources. The death toll varies between 60 and 80 across reports, but all agree on at least 60 killed. The reporting is close to primary accounts, though exact numbers remain fluid as search and rescue continues.

How new

This is genuinely new, reported on 16 September 2026.

Past coverage

We covered a similar gold mine collapse on the Cameroon-CAR border in August 2026, which killed over 100 people and also highlighted dangers in informal mining.

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