Two killed in gold mine collapse in eastern Sudan

October 25, 2026 (GEDAREF) – Two people were killed and three others injured following the collapse of an artisanal gold mine in Gedaref state in eastern Sudan.

Gold mine collapses have surged recently across northern, eastern, and western Sudanese states.

The latest major disaster occurred last September when more than 60 miners were killed after a mine collapsed near En Nahud in West Kordofan state.

The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company said in a statement that two miners died and three were injured when an abandoned well collapsed at the Al-Shuhada mine in Gedaref last Friday.

Available information indicates the victims snuck into the well despite local authorities and police officially suspending operations, the company said.

The General Administration of Environment and Safety at the mineral resources company had previously warned against entering abandoned and suspended wells.

The agency stressed the need to comply with closure orders at unsafe sites to prevent fatal accidents and protect miners.

Sudan’s artisanal mining sector employs more than two million people.

This number has surged significantly since the war broke out in April 2023, pushing millions to work in remote areas under harsh conditions.

Artisanal miners currently produce more than 80% of the country’s total extracted gold.

Miners at these remote sites often operate without basic safety requirements or rescue equipment, severely increasing the risk of deadly collapses.