Worker killed, five injured in rockfall at Egypt’s largest gold mine

Dubai: A worker was killed and five others injured after a rockfall inside a tunnel at Egypt’s largest gold mine, officials said on Sunday, prompting the suspension of operations in the affected area pending safety checks and an investigation.

The incident occurred inside one of the tunnels in the underground work area at the Sukari gold mine in Egypt’s Eastern Desert, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said in a statement.

The injured workers were taken to a hospital in the Red Sea resort city of Marsa Alam. Preliminary medical reports indicated that their conditions were stable, the ministry said.

Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and review safety procedures at the mine.

The committee was also tasked with recommending measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

Work in the affected area has been suspended while safety standards are reviewed and the investigation is carried out, officials said.