Seven bodies were recovered from a collapsed mining pit at Manso Kaneago in the Amansie South Municipality of the Ashanti Region on Thursday night, after eight illegal miners were trapped while searching for gold deposits. The collapse occurred at about 10 pm, according to officials.
Officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the District Security Council (DISEC) and the Police are working frantically to retrieve the remaining body still underground. The incident unfolded when the pit collapsed while the miners were working at the site.
About 12 miners were operating at the site when the collapse happened. Four managed to escape, while eight were trapped beneath the debris. The exact cause of the collapse remains unclear, and investigations are underway to determine the circumstances that led to the incident.
Municipal Chief Executive Benjamin Marfo said he was leading a team to the site to gather further information on the incident.
He said efforts were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collapse and the entrapment of the miners.
The dead bodies have been transported to the morgue, while NADMO, the Police and DISEC are expected to return to the site to continue the search and recovery operation for the remaining victim.
Rescue teams are currently working to locate the last trapped miner, with hopes of a safe extraction. The community and authorities await the findings of the investigation into the collapse.
