7 killed, 6 injured in traditional gold mine collapse in E. Sudan

At least seven people were killed and six others injured after a traditional gold mine collapsed in the Ganab and Aulib area of Red Sea State in eastern Sudan, the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company said on Wednesday.



"A traditional mining shaft at the Keliti mine in the Ganab and Aulib area of Red Sea State collapsed yesterday (Tuesday), resulting in the death of seven miners and the injury of six others, according to preliminary figures," the company, a government regulatory body overseeing mining activities, said in a statement.



It confirmed that its field teams were present at the site from the earliest moments of the incident and coordinated with the relevant authorities to transfer the injured to Port Sudan for medical treatment, while civil defense forces continue search-and-rescue operations at the site.



An eyewitness in the area told Xinhua that the mine, located in a mountainous region, collapsed completely, noting that the actual number of miners inside at the time remains unknown.



He added that those whose bodies were recovered or who were rescued were only those near the surface of the mine at the moment of the collapse, suggesting that a large number of miners may still be trapped underground.