A gold mine field collapse in northern Ghana this week, has claimed lives of nine this week, the country’s police confirmed on Thursday, as the rescue operations continue.
Small-scale gold mining activities locally known as “galamsey”, have faced President Nana Akufo-Addo’s threat of crackdown to curb the country’s environmental damage.
According to the Police, the latest incident, which occurred in Gbane mining area of Talensi district, in the Upper East region near the border with Burkina Faso, happened late Monday during a downpour.
“We started with our rescue operation on Tuesday and by Thursday, we’ve been able to retrieve nine bodies,” police spokesperson, David Fianko-Okyere told AFP.
“We suspect three more bodies are trapped down there so we’re doing everything possible to get them dead or alive.”
Eyewitness Yakubu Musah said the mine caved in after rainwater flooded the pit.
“There are about two or more different pits underground here with only one tunnel connecting as the passage to them,” said Musah.
“When you are down there it’s very difficult to tell what is happening out here, so I’m sure they had no idea it was even raining. I don’t think anyone survived.”
Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu said the mine was a registered mine, not an illegal site.
“We suspect the rains may have weakened the foundations of the pit,” said Yakubu adding that a committee would investigate the causes.
In a separate incident last week, three people were killed when an illegal gold mine collapsed in the south of the country.
Ghana is Africa’s second-largest gold producer and exports of the metal, along with other minerals and oil, drive the country’s economy.
AFP
