The Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dele Alake, has called for the immediate mobilisation of rescue resources following a mine collapse in West Kordofan, Sudan.
Alake urged authorities to pool regional and local resources to deploy heavy-lifting and excavation equipment to the Al-Zaraa gold mine near Al-Nuhud town, where rescue efforts are underway.
According to a statement by Alake, the equipment is needed to speed up search-and-rescue operations and provide medical assistance to survivors.
The AMSG expressed condolences to the families and communities affected by the incident, saying initial reports indicated that dozens of miners had died, while others remained missing and were feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The group said the collapse reportedly involved interconnected shafts in loose terrain, highlighting the dangers faced by artisanal and informal miners across Africa.
Alake also called for greater regulation of artisanal mining operations, including improved training, safety enforcement and institutional oversight.
“Human life must always supersede resource extraction,” he said, stressing the need to protect vulnerable workers operating in conflict-affected and politically unstable regions.
The AMSG said rescue operations had been further hampered by limited access to heavy excavation machinery, with survivors and local responders reportedly relying on basic hand tools.
The group described the incident as a serious reminder of the need for stronger safety standards and regulatory oversight at informal mining sites.
The AMSG reaffirmed its commitment to promoting policies aimed at ensuring minerals are mined, managed and processed with greater attention to worker safety and human dignity.
