13 Killed in Partial Collapse at Sudan’s Umm Fakroun Gold Mine

A partial collapse at the Umm Fakroun gold mine killed 13 people and injured six after illegal miners entered abandoned shafts. The incident highlights the dangers of Sudan’s largely unregulated artisanal mining sector, which continues to operate amid an ongoing conflict that relies heavily on gold revenues and has caused widespread displacement and humanitarian suffering.

A partial collapse at a gold mine in South Sudan has resulted in the deaths of 13 people, while six others sustained injuries, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the state mining company. The tragic incident occurred last Friday at the Umm Fakroun mine, where five mining shafts that had previously been abandoned suddenly gave way. The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC) confirmed that the affected shafts were located in South Kordofan and had been officially closed prior to the accident.
The SMRC explained that although the shafts were no longer in operation and had been declared unsafe, some miners illegally gained access to the site and entered the tunnels in search of gold. This unauthorized activity, combined with the unstable condition of the abandoned shafts, is believed to have contributed to the deadly collapse. Rescue efforts were launched after the incident, leading to the recovery of victims and the evacuation of the injured for medical treatment.
The collapse comes against the backdrop of Sudan’s ongoing conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Since the outbreak of fighting, both sides have increasingly depended on revenues from the gold sector, along with foreign backing, to finance their military operations. Gold has therefore become an even more critical resource in the country’s war economy.
Despite the prolonged conflict and widespread instability, Sudan’s gold production reached an estimated 70 tonnes in 2025, marking the highest output recorded in the past five years. However, officials say a significant portion of this gold never passes through official export channels. Instead, large quantities are smuggled across borders into neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt, before eventually making their way to international markets, including the United Arab Emirates. Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim disclosed that only about 20 tonnes of gold were exported legally through official channels last year.
Sudan, which is Africa’s third-largest country by land area, remains one of the continent’s leading gold producers. However, much of its gold output comes from small-scale and artisanal mining operations, similar to those at Umm Fakroun. These informal mining sites often operate with minimal regulation, poor safety standards, and limited oversight. As a result, miners are frequently exposed to dangerous working conditions, including the risk of tunnel collapses, as well as the use of hazardous chemicals that pose serious long-term health risks.
Before the war plunged an estimated 25 million people into severe food insecurity, artisanal gold mining served as a vital source of income for more than two million Sudanese. With livelihoods disrupted by the conflict, many people have continued to rely on unsafe mining practices to survive. The ongoing war has so far claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced approximately 11 million people to flee their homes, further compounding the country’s humanitarian and economic crisis.