Two children drown in abandoned mining pit at Obuasi

Police are investigating the death of two boys who were found unconscious in an abandoned mining pit Sunday.

Officers from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in the Ashanti Region, were called to the scene at about 1pm after it was feared the boys had drowned.

The incident occurred at Boete Sennet, a community at Obuasi East District of the Ashanti Region, NADMO officials said.

The victims have been named as Bashiru Ibrahim, aged 11 and Nurudeen Sufani, 13 —both school pupils at Boete in the Obuasi East District, Ghanatodayonline reported.

It is understood that the boys had gone to the illegal mining site —where the abandoned water-filled pit is located – on a routine swimming spree.

The victims, NADMO said may have swum deeply in the pool and might have difficulties to stay afloat.

Their lifeless bodies were later recovered after about three hours of search by town folks.

“Their bodies have been deposited at the Obuasi Government Hospital for preservation and autopsy,” NADMO said.

Ashanti Regional NADMO Coordinator, Kwabena Nsenkyire told reporters that the family of the victims have been informed.

Others who had gathered at the scene were reaching out to other neighbors to confirm the incident.

A World Health Organization report in 2018 indicated that drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths.

An estimated 360,000 annual drowning deaths are recorded globally with children and women with increased access to water most at risk of drowning.

In Ghana, abandoned illegal mining pits dotted across mining districts in the country are major cause of increasing cases of drowning in the country.

Government’s promise to reclaim all abandoned mining pits has not been fulfilled putting the lives of most rural dwellers in danger.

Source: Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH