Traders at the Tarkwa Women’s Market in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region are living in fear after part of the market land caved in, following a blast suspected to be linked to illegal mining at an abandoned mine shaft belt.
Preliminary findings suggest the collapse was triggered by galamsey operations along the old shaft that runs through sections of the municipality.
Former Head of Public Affairs at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Fiifi Boafo, confirmed the development in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem.
He noted that the incident, which occurred on the night of September 8, could have resulted in significant casualties if traders had been present.
Describing the situation as alarming, Mr. Boafo urged authorities to urgently halt the illegal mining activities that are destabilizing the earth’s structure.
He recounted a trader’s account that some individuals were still trapped in the pit the morning after the cave-in.
He further revealed that personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) visited the scene but only instructed miners to refill the area without conducting a thorough safety assessment.
He criticised the response, questioning NADMO’s failure to properly evaluate the extent of the damage and put measures in place to prevent further disasters.
“A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mines and Technology, Professor Mireku Gyimah, who was Ghana’s first Mining Professor, has warned that if the digging continues unchecked, the entire Tarkwa township risks caving in one day,” Mr. Boafo cautioned.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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