Rescue operations have ended at Asaman Tamfoe in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region, after a mining pit collapsed within the concession of Xtra Gold Mining Company, killing seven miners.
The collapse happened on Sunday, August 30, at about 11pm, while the miners were working underground in search of gold.
The Atiwa East District Security Council (DISEC) says it has begun an assessment to establish exactly what caused the collapse.
The District Chief Executive, Ernest Owusu Ntim, disclosed this after visiting the scene. He said 11 miners were initially at the site, but four left before the collapse, leaving seven trapped, who were later found dead.
“They were 11 and out of the eleven, I think four decided to go home because Sunday was Akwasidae. The rest were the seven bodies we were able to retrieve,” he said.
According to reports, two miners who were outside the pit when it collapsed rushed to the community for help. Residents mobilised a search and rescue team and alerted the police and other emergency agencies, leading to the recovery of the seven bodies.
Authorities have opened investigations to determine the cause of the collapse and the full circumstances surrounding the deaths.
