Around 100 miners are estimated to have died inside a collapsed gold mine in Sudan’s Darfur region and nine rescuers trying to free them are now trapped, a miner said on Friday.

“Nine of the rescue team disappeared when the land collapsed around them yesterday (Thursday),” said the miner, who had visited the scene and asked to remain anonymous.

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On Monday the unlicensed desert gold mine began to collapse in Jebel Amir district, more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of the North Darfur state capital El Fasher.

The stench of death is now seeping out of the baked earth, the miner said.

“Yesterday eight bodies have been found and still they are looking for the others,” he said.

“According to a count by people working in the mine, the number of people inside is more than 100.”