Mining pit collapse: 7 dead, 5 rescued, 18 still trapped

Out of an estimated 30 miners who were trapped in an illegal mining pit that collapsed on Monday in Korley Teye, Birim North District of the Eastern Region, only five have been rescued alive so far.

Tragically, seven miners lost their lives in the incident, while frantic locals attempted to rescue the others using various tools.

Eyewitness Frank Owusu Amoah, who rushed to the scene upon hearing of the disaster, shared that the five rescued miners were promptly taken to the hospital for treatment. However, as darkness fell, many more individuals remained trapped underground.

The accident is believed to have occurred around 10 am, while Amoah and others arrived at the scene around midday. Surprisingly, as of 5:30 pm, no official rescue operation had been established, leaving only the miners and local residents to carry out rescue efforts with the limited resources available to them.

Despite contacting the Police, Fire Service, and National Disaster Management Organization, immediate assistance was not forthcoming.

Amoah also confirmed an earlier report that the illegal miners were hostile towards anyone attempting to take photographs at the site, as they did not want attention drawn to the incident.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the accident took place at the Takorso site in Korle Teye, a busy illegal mining area where many young individuals from nearby communities gather daily to search for gold.

During the correspondent’s visit to the site, only two trapped miners had been rescued, while the lifeless bodies of the seven deceased miners were visible, covered with foliage. The correspondent was prevented from taking photographs and was chased away from the area.

Source: AdomOnline