Three people have been confirmed dead, and four others rescued after being trapped in an abandoned illegal mining (galamsey) pit in Twifo-Mampong, Twifo Atti-Morkwa District, Central Region. The incident underscores the deadly hazards of unregulated mining sites, with rescue operations concluding late Wednesday amid fears of further collapses.
District Chief Executive Isaac Yawson confirmed the tragedy to Adom News, stating the victims—believed to be locals from Mampong—were retrieving gold from the derelict pit when it caved in. The deceased’s bodies have been deposited at Twifo Praso morgue for autopsy, with identities pending official verification. The four survivors were treated for minor injuries and released.
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), and Ambulance Service responded promptly, using excavators to extract the trapped individuals. Yawson described the scene as “heartbreaking,” linking it to the proliferation of unsecured pits from past galamsey operations.
This collapse is the fifth major galamsey-related incident in 2025, following tragedies in Akyem Wenchi (four dead, 20 trapped in July), Diaso (May), Mpasatia (50-year-old woman drowned), and Osino, where over 22 lives have been lost in the Central Region alone since January due to unsecured pits filling with rainwater.
NADMO’s Central Regional Director Kwesi Dawood warned that these “death traps” threaten miners and innocents alike, calling for urgent reclamation efforts in districts like Twifo Atti-Morkwa.
The government has intensified anti-galamsey measures, including declaring water bodies and forests as security zones, but stakeholders like Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah admit the inherited damage will take years to reverse.
