Three people have been killed when a gold pit caved in at Apinamang, a mining community, near Akwatia in the Denkyembour District of the Eastern Region.
The three are Akosua Asantewaa (41), Yaw Ntiamoah (35) and Yaw Bismark (25), it is reported.
The incident occurred around 12 pm on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, reported citinewsroom.com.
Police, proceeded to the site after the assemblyman for the area lodged a formal complaint.
Bodies of the deceased were found covered with leaves after they were retrieved by local divers.
A police spokesperson, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh said: “Today [Wednesday] at about 2.00 pm, the Assemblyman at Apinamang, John Boakye came to the police station and reported that at about 12.00 pm he had information that a gold pit had collapsed on some people around old Apinamang cemetery.
Police proceeded to the scene and found three bodies covered with leaves. Information gathered at the scene indicated that they were in the pit mining for gold, and suddenly it collapsed on them. Bodies were removed and deposited at St Dominic’s Hospital for preservation and autopsy.”
Illegal mining is common in Ghana. Such unregulated mining activities have resulted in the destruction of the vegetation and deaths in some cases.
The government has taken steps to fight the menace. Some five million seedlings have been planted to recover the vegetation while armed security forces have been deployed to these mining sites to flush out these unlicensed miners.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH