The Bosome Freho District Assembly in the Ashanti Region has ordered the arrest of the owner of an abandoned mining pit that led to the death of a woman and her child, highlighting ongoing concerns over unsafe and unrehabilitated mining sites in the area.
The woman, with her child strapped to her back, is said to have slipped into the abandoned pit while attempting to fetch water for cooking, a tragic incident that has raised fresh concerns about the dangers posed by such sites.
District Chief Executive Charles Appiah Kubi said the owner of the mining site failed to reclaim the pit after illegal mining operations, a neglect he noted has contributed to multiple similar incidents in the district.
The Bosome Freho District is one of the more deprived areas in the Ashanti Region and is home to hundreds of uncovered mining pits.
Water-filled trenches scattered across farmlands reflect the impact of irresponsible mining activities. The bodies of a middle-aged woman and her child were retrieved from one such abandoned pit at Bobriase in the district.
District Chief Executive Charles Appiah Kubi has expressed concern that abandoned mining pits have become death traps for residents in the Bosome Freho District, as he revealed efforts to arrest the owner of one such site.
“When I look at Bosome Freho, I have been District Chief Executive for almost a year now, and I have come across so many abandoned pits in the district,” he said.
“And some people have lost their lives. I can mention at least two or three people who have died through these abandoned pits in recent times,” he added.
“In recent times, even last week, a lady fell into one of the abandoned pits while attempting to fetch water to cook, and it was very unfortunate.
“It was raining, and the ground was slippery, and she fell into the pit together with her young child, and both of them lost their lives.
“The case has been reported to the police command, and the owner is now trying to avoid arrest. We are ensuring that proper action is taken within the district and that it also serves as a deterrent to others.”
Meanwhile, Mr Appiah Kubi revealed that the assembly is taking inventory of all abandoned pits. This, he said, will help trace their respective owners for necessary action.
“As I speak, we have instructed the NADMO Director in the district to go around various sites of abandoned pits to identify those who mined those areas, so they can be traced and, if possible, arrested and taken to court.
“So that is the initiative the DCE and the police command have taken to restore these abandoned pits within Bosome Freho.”
The Bosome Freho District has also signed onto a reclamation programme under the auspices of the Lands Ministry, National Security, and the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council.
Under this scheme, small-scale miners operating in the area have voluntarily agreed to reclaim all mined-out lands at no cost to the assembly.
