At least 31 people have died after a gold mine collapsed in western Sudan, a mining official has announced.
One person has been rescued alive and as been taken to hospital.
The official said: "Thirty-one bodies were recovered after the collapse of a gold mine in En Nahud locality in West Kurdufan state. Only one person was rescued alive."
Rescuers are combing through the rubble in the hopes of finding more people, after eight people are still reported to be missing.
It is understood four people died in the same mine in January after it collapsed.
An official told local news: "Authorities at the time shut down the mine and installed security but a couple of months ago they left."
Recent studies have suggested gold production in Sudan is primarily driven by unregulated individual mining, which is known to be hazardous to those who work in it.
Sudan is the second-largest producer of gold in Africa, and in 2020 36.6 tonnes was exported.
Around two million artisanal miners produce around 80% the nation's gold.
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