Three people, including two females and a young boy, have died after a galamsey pit collapsed at Bomiriso, a suburb of Konongo in the Asante Akyem Central Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
The victims, all believed to be below 30 years, were trapped inside the mining pit following the collapse, which occurred at about 4:00 p.m. Eyewitnesses say about nine people were working inside the pit when it suddenly caved in. Six of the miners managed to escape before the collapse, while the remaining three were trapped beneath the debris.
Personnel from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service and the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) were deployed to the scene to support the rescue operation. The Municipal Chief Executive, Dr. Ekow Ebenezer Aidoo, also visited the area as efforts were made to retrieve the trapped miners.
The Municipal NADMO Coordinator, Mr. Lanbong Joseph, described the incident as unfortunate and renewed calls for residents and miners to desist from illegal mining activities, particularly operations carried out in areas that pose serious risks to human life.
The latest tragedy comes amid repeated warnings from traditional authorities in Konongo and surrounding communities against illegal mining. The traditional authorities have previously appealed to residents to stop mining activities in river bodies and streams and have performed traditional rites as part of efforts to discourage the practice.
Following the latest incident, some residents have linked the tragedy to the previous warnings and traditional rites by the traditional council. However, there is no established evidence that the collapse was connected to those events.
The bodies of the three deceased persons have been retrieved and deposited at the Konongo Government Hospital for preservation and autopsy. Investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances that led to the collapse.
Story by Faustina Mensah
