On Oct. 25 local time Sudan Mineral Resources Company said a collapse at an
abandoned, closed shaft in Gedaref state in eastern Sudan killed two miners and
injured three. The company said the shaft had been ordered closed but some
miners entered illegally to extract gold; an investigation into the cause and
circumstances is under way. Sudan is a leading African gold producer and
exporter and gold is a major source of foreign exchange; production relies
heavily on artisanal methods and limited safety infrastructure, making mine
collapses and operational disruptions a recurring risk to output.