Latest news with #SMRC
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
UAE offers condolences to Sudan over gold mine collapse
UAE has expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with the families of the victims and the Sudanese people. This comes after the collapse of a gold mine in the Howaid area, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of people. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its condolences and wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured. The partial collapse of a traditional gold mine killed 11 miners and wounded seven others in Sudan's northeast, the state mining company said on Sunday. In a statement, the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC) said that the collapse occurred in an "artisanal shaft in the Kirsh al-Fil mine" in the remote desert area of Howaid, located between the cities of Atbara and Haiya in Sudan's northeastern Red Sea state. SMRC said it had previously suspended work in the mine and "warned against its continuing activity due to its posing great risk to life".
Canada Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Canada Standard
Gold miners killed in pit collapse in war-torn Sudan
The state mining company had warned that operations at the site posed a high risk to life At least 11 miners have been killed and seven others injured in a partial gold mine collapse inwar-tornSudan's eastern Nile State, according to local officials. The incident occurred over the weekend at the Karsh al-Fil mine in the Houeid desert area, Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC), the state-owned mining corporation which is overseeing the project, said on Sunday. The injured have been hospitalized, SMRC noted in a statement issued after an emergency meeting was held in response to the collapse. The company added that it had previously halted excavation activities at the site and warned informal miners against continuing operations there due to the "high risk to lives." According to the latest World Gold Council data, Sudan ranks as Africa's fifth-largest gold producer, with a production volume of 73.8 tons in 2024. Roughly 85% of the country's output reportedly comes from artisanal mining. Gold mining accidents are common in the African state, particularly in remote desert regions where safety standards are allegedly minimal. In December 2021, at least 38 miners were killed when a disused mine collapsed in West Kordofan State, according to official reports. In April 2023, 14 died in a similar incident in Northern State. Sudan has been mired in a civil war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both groups have been accused of exploiting gold-rich regions to fund their operations. A report published by the Yale School of the Environment in March claims that gold smuggling and informal mining have increased in Sudan as a result of the ongoing armed conflict. The publication notes that threats of famine triggered by the fighting have pushed many civilians to engage in small-scale gold mining, where they risk their lives using toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide to extract the metal. (
Canada News.Net
3 days ago
- Business
- Canada News.Net
Gold miners killed in pit collapse in war-torn Sudan
The state mining company had warned that operations at the site posed a high risk to life At least 11 miners have been killed and seven others injured in a partial gold mine collapse inwar-tornSudan's eastern Nile State, according to local officials. The incident occurred over the weekend at the Karsh al-Fil mine in the Houeid desert area, Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC), the state-owned mining corporation which is overseeing the project, said on Sunday. The injured have been hospitalized, SMRC noted in a statement issued after an emergency meeting was held in response to the collapse. The company added that it had previously halted excavation activities at the site and warned informal miners against continuing operations there due to the "high risk to lives." According to the latest World Gold Council data, Sudan ranks as Africa's fifth-largest gold producer, with a production volume of 73.8 tons in 2024. Roughly 85% of the country's output reportedly comes from artisanal mining. Gold mining accidents are common in the African state, particularly in remote desert regions where safety standards are allegedly minimal. In December 2021, at least 38 miners were killed when a disused mine collapsed in West Kordofan State, according to official reports. In April 2023, 14 died in a similar incident in Northern State. Sudan has been mired in a civil war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both groups have been accused of exploiting gold-rich regions to fund their operations. A report published by the Yale School of the Environment in March claims that gold smuggling and informal mining have increased in Sudan as a result of the ongoing armed conflict. The publication notes that threats of famine triggered by the fighting have pushed many civilians to engage in small-scale gold mining, where they risk their lives using toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide to extract the metal.
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Gold miners killed in pit collapse in war-torn Sudan
At least 11 miners have been killed and seven others injured in a partial gold mine collapse in war-torn Sudan's eastern Nile State, according to local officials. The incident occurred over the weekend at the Karsh al-Fil mine in the Houeid desert area, Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC), the state-owned mining corporation which is overseeing the project, said on Sunday. The injured have been hospitalized, SMRC noted in a statement issued after an emergency meeting was held in response to the collapse. The company added that it had previously halted excavation activities at the site and warned informal miners against continuing operations there due to the 'high risk to lives.' According to the latest World Gold Council data, Sudan ranks as Africa's fifth-largest gold producer, with a production volume of 73.8 tons in 2024. Roughly 85% of the country's output reportedly comes from artisanal mining. Gold mining accidents are common in the African state, particularly in remote desert regions where safety standards are allegedly minimal. In December 2021, at least 38 miners were killed when a disused mine collapsed in West Kordofan State, according to official reports. In April 2023, 14 died in a similar incident in Northern State. Sudan has been mired in a civil war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both groups have been accused of exploiting gold-rich regions to fund their operations. A report published by the Yale School of the Environment in March claims that gold smuggling and informal mining have increased in Sudan as a result of the ongoing armed conflict. The publication notes that threats of famine triggered by the fighting have pushed many civilians to engage in small-scale gold mining, where they risk their lives using toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide to extract the metal.
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Eleven killed in Sudan gold mine collapse as civil war rages
The partial collapse of a traditional gold mine in Sudan's northeast has killed 11 miners and wounded seven others, according to the state mining company, as a brutal civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is in its third year. Since the war erupted in April 2023, both sides' war chests have been largely funded by Sudan's gold industry. In a statement released on Sunday, the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC) said that the collapse occurred in an 'artisanal shaft in the Kirsh al-Fil mine' over the weekend in the remote desert area of Howeid, located between the SAF-controlled cities of Atbara and Haiya in Sudan's northeastern Red Sea state. Another seven workers were injured and transferred to a hospital, the SMRC said. The company added that it had previously suspended work in the mine and 'warned against its continuing activity due to its posing great risk to life'. According to official and NGO sources, nearly all of the gold trade is funnelled through the United Arab Emirates, which has been accused of arming the RSF. The UAE denies it does so. The war has shattered Sudan's already fragile economy. The army-backed government, nevertheless, announced record gold production of 64 tonnes in 2024. Africa's third-largest country is one of the continent's top gold producers, but artisanal and small-scale gold mining accounts for the majority of gold extracted. In contrast to larger industrial facilities, these mines lack safety measures and use hazardous chemicals that often cause widespread diseases in nearby areas. Mining collapses are also common. Similar incidents in recent years include a 2023 collapse that killed 14 miners and another in 2021 that claimed 38 lives. Before the war, which has pushed 25 million people into dire food insecurity, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, according to mining industry sources and experts. Today, according to those sources, much of the gold produced by both sides is smuggled to Chad, South Sudan and Egypt, before reaching the UAE, the world's second-largest gold exporter. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Sudan, where more than 13 million people are currently displaced in the world's largest displacement crisis. More than four million have fled across borders. Currently, the SAF dominates the north and east of the country – including the smallest state by area, but most populous, Khartoum – along with some central areas. The RSF, meanwhile, holds most of western Sudan, including most of Darfur.
