Three killed in mining pit collapse at Odumase-Santenso

Three people have died after a mining pit collapsed on them at Odumase-Santenso in the Asante Akyem Central Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The victims, two women and a man were aged between 21 and 25, according to local authorities.

The incident happened at about 4pm on Friday, August 7. Residents alerted the local assembly member after the pit collapsed and efforts were made to rescue those trapped underground.

Isaac Kyei Andoh, the caretaker assembly member for the area, said he informed the Municipal Chief Executive and arrangements were made to bring in a backhoe to retrieve the victims.

But the first machine developed a fault and could not be used.

A privately owned backhoe was then brought in, but residents had already managed to dig through the collapsed pit and recover the bodies by the time it arrived.

The bodies were retrieved between 18:30 and 19:00, Mr Andoh said.

Traditional rites were performed at the scene before the remains were taken to a mortuary.

The victims were reportedly involved in what is locally known as “one-man” mining – an informal form of small-scale gold mining in which individuals dig deep pits using basic equipment.

The latest deaths have renewed concerns over the safety of people involved in unregulated mining in the area.

Ghana has struggled to curb illegal and unsafe small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey, despite repeated government campaigns against the practice.

Mining pit collapses are among the dangers faced by people working in poorly regulated sites, particularly where deep pits are dug without adequate safety measures.