Berber: Six people have been killed and up to 20 others are feared trapped following the collapse of a gold mine in northern Sudan, according to local authorities. The incident took place in the Um Aud area, located west of the city of Berber in the River Nile state, as confirmed by Hassan Ibrahim Karar, the executive director of the Berber locality.

According to Nam News Network, efforts are currently ongoing to rescue individuals trapped beneath the debris. The cause of the collapse of the artisanal mine has not been specified by officials. Sudan, recognized as Africa's third-largest country by area, is a leading gold producer on the continent. However, the majority of its gold is extracted through artisanal and small-scale mining operations. These operations often lack proper safety measures and employ hazardous chemicals, posing significant health risks to miners and surrounding communities.

Artisanal mining, prior to the conflict that plunged 25 million Sudanese into acute food insecurity, provided employment to more than two million people, based on industry figures. Presently, experts in the mining sector indicate that a substantial portion of the gold produced by both warring factions is smuggled through neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt before reaching the UAE, which is currently the world's second-largest gold exporter.