Two persons have died from an illegal mining (galamsey) pit collapse in the Ahafo region while they were in the process of mining.

Police have identified two as 32-year-olds Kwabena Saaben and Joshua Baidoo.

District Police Commander of Asutifi North and South, DSP Paul A. Ankan, told Adom News the police received a call at about 9:00 am from an anonymous person who reported that the two were trapped in the pit at dawn were still not out as at the time of the call.

According to him, before police arrived at the scene, residents were already presen, making frantic efforts to rescue the distressed miners.

DSP Ankan said it unfortunately took hours to get them from the trapped tip so they found them dead.

The bodies have since been deposited at the Saint Elizabeth Hospital Morgue at Hwidiem, the capital of Asutifi South District as police conduct investigations into the deaths.

He also revealed that the scene of the galamse was obscured from the public’s eye, giving the miners the advantage of discreetly carrying out their illegal activities in spite of police efforts to curb illegal mining.