At least seven people have been confirmed dead after an illegal mining pit collapsed at Manso Kaniago in Manso Adubia district of the Ashanti Region on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
The victims were reportedly trapped underground while engaged in illegal mining activities when the pit caved in.
The Ashanti Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Alhaji Mohammed Nasir Ibrahim, confirmed the incident in an interview with GHOne TV Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Isaac Justice Bediako.
According to him, 12 people were working in the mining pit at the time of the collapse.
“Four people managed to escape, but one of them is unconscious. Seven bodies have been retrieved, while digging to locate the remaining person is still ongoing,” he said.
Rescue efforts are continuing as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding the collapse and recover the remaining miner.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the growing dangers associated with illegal mining, particularly the operation of poorly constructed and abandoned mining pits.
Checks by GHOne News intelligence gathered from National Security sources suggests that at least four people die each month in the Ashanti Region through incidents linked to illegal mining activities.
GHOne News further understands that at least 30 people have died in illegal mining-related incidents in the region during the period under review.
Of the reported deaths, 11 are said to have been children who fell into uncovered mining pits.
Four of the bodies are reportedly yet to be recovered for burial.
The recurring fatalities have heightened calls for intensified enforcement against illegal mining and stronger measures to secure abandoned and uncovered mining sites, particularly in communities where residents are exposed to the dangers of open pits.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Isaac Justice Bediako
