A gold mine partly collapsed in eastern Sudan, killing 11 miners, the state-run company in charge of the project said Sunday.

The collapse of the Kersh al-Feel mine happened over the weekend in the desert town of Houeid in the eastern Nile River province, the Sudanese Mineral Resources Limited Company said in a statement. Another seven workers were injured and transferred to a hospital, it said.

The company said it had stopped excavation and reiterated its warning to informal miners against working at the site.

Sudan is a major gold producer but mine collapses are common due to poor safety standards.

Similar incidents in recent years include a 2023 collapse that killed 14 miners and another in 2021 that claimed 38 lives.