Their bodies had been recovered and they were identified as Malam Yielpi and Mohammed.

Two other miners – Alhassan Fuseini and Abdulai Mohammed, however, survived the accident and are receiving treatment at the Stewards hospital at Yawkei for the injuries they suffered.

Mr. Isaac Kyei Andoh, the Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), confirmed the news to the media said the incident happened at about 0200 hours on Monday, saying it was reported to his office about three-and-a-half hours after the pit had collapsed.

They quickly moved a rescue team to the scene and managed to pull the lifeless bodies and the pair who survived from the rubble.

The rescue team made up of officials from NADMO, the police and Ghana National Fire Service, was continuing to search through the tons of earth and rocks to make sure that there was no other person dead or alive left in the pit.

They had arranged for an excavator to assist the search and rescue operation.

Patriensa is one of the few mining communities in the municipality where illegal mining is reported to have been going on despite the government’s ban.

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Source: GNA

The post Two perish in ‘galamsey’ pit collapse appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Five others, who managed to escape unhurt, are assisting the Police with investigations.

[contextly_sidebar id=”DrwiJBOlHAwhC5ENKTrc2hugFhDZqCqC”]The Prestea District Police Commander, Superintendent Atsu Dzineku, told Citi News that the Police are also trying to retrieve the bodies of the victims.

“We visited the site and the information we gathered through the Committee Chairman was that 14 were dead. We are trying to retrieve the bodies. There were a few survivors. Those who escaped death are the eyewitnesses so they briefed us. They were coming out when all of the sudden they heard the noise which means the pit caved in. Those behind them were trapped. It is an old galamsey pit and they sneaked in to operate when this happened.”

Reports of mining pits caving in on illegal miners in Ghana is not a new phenomenon, as many lives have been lost as a result.

in 2016, two people died when a pit caved in on them at Akyem Ahwenease in the Eastern Region.

Some of the pits have been abandoned for several months by multinational mining companies that have been licensed to operate in the country.

Small-scale illegal miners often take advantage of the absence of the companies to mine in these already dug out and abandoned pits despite the danger it poses.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citfimonline.com/Ghana

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