Illegal miner trapped to death in galamsey pit

An illegal miner has died after a mining pit collapsed on him at Akyem Ekorso, a community in the Atiwa West District of the Eastern Region.

The incident happened Monday afternoon around 12:45 pm.

Starr News has gathered that the victim identified only as Dogbeda went to the abandoned mining pit of a mining firm in the company of three others to engage in illegal mining.

However, whilst mining, the already fractured hanging wall of the open-mined pit suddenly collapsed but three of his colleagues managed to escape.

The Atiwa West District Operations Director, Doe Bansah, said “We were there to assess some bushfire situations, Immediately we got to Ekorso, we saw a lot of people rushing to the community. We were told a guy has been trapped in a mining pit. The sand collapsed on the person so we called the site owner who brought an excavator to remove the sand from the dead body and retrieved the dead body”.

The body of the deceased was conveyed to the Kibi Government Hospital morgue by the Police.

Illegal mining popularly known as galamsey has resurfaced in many mining communities in the Eastern Region.

Osabarima Ofosuhene Appenteng II, the Chief of Asuom at a mini-rally for cocoa farmers organized by the Kade cocoa district in Akyem – Asuom on Friday called on his subjects to help the fight against the menace.

Meanwhile, residents of Akyem Abomoso on Monday, March 2, 2020, complained over pollution of the Birim River by illegal miners mining with impunity on the river.

The return of illegal mining menace has been linked to the upcoming general election due to which enforcement of the law has been relaxed allowing the illegal miners mostly with political lineage to degrade the land.

Already, the composition of 62 member anti-Galamsay taskforce “Galamstop” in the region has been questioned since its inauguration by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, IMCIM, in May 2019. The Taskforce has the Eastern Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party –Kingston Okomeng Kissi as the Director of Operation while most of the members are known supporters of the Party.