Three persons have died after a pit in which they were mining gold caved in at Apinamang near Akwatia in the Denkyembour District of the Eastern Region.

The three are Akosua Asantewaa (41), Yaw Ntiamoah (35) and Yaw Bismark (25).

The incident occurred around 12 pm on Wednesday, September 8, 2021.

Police, proceeded to the site after the assemblyman for the area lodged a formal complaint.

Bodies of the deceased were found covered with leaves after they were retrieved by local divers.

DSP Ebenezer Tetteh who confirmed the incident to Citi News said the bodies have been deposited at the St. Dominic’s Hospital for preservation and autopsy.

“Today at about 2.00 pm, the Assemblyman at Apinamang, John Boakye came to the police station and reported that at about 12.00 pm he had information that a gold pit had collapsed on some people around old Apinamang cemetery. Police proceeded to the scene and found three bodies covered with leaves. Information gathered at the scene indicated that they were in the pit mining for gold, and suddenly it collapsed on them. Bodies were removed and deposited at St Dominic’s Hospital for preservation and autopsy.”

Other collapsed mining pits
This is not the first time a mining pit had caved on miners in Ghana.

In November 2020, an illegal small-scale mining pit in the outskirts of Ayanfuri in the Central Region collapsed and trapped eight persons between the ages of 24 and 35 years.

The illegal miners were rescued by residents and rushed to the Dunkwa-on-Offin Government Hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

A similar situation was recorded in October 2020, where five persons died when they were trapped in a mining pit at Ayamfuri in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central region.

15 others who were also trapped in the cave sustained varied injuries after the incident.

One person died after an underground mining pit which is part of the concession of Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, caved in and trapped some workers.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday, May 17, 2021.

Recently, in June, nine miners died after they were trapped in a pit at the Gbane mining area of the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.