Six illegal miners trapped to death at Noyem

Six illegal miners were on Wednesday trapped to death during an illegal mining operation (galamsey) when the pit they were operating in collapsed on them at Noyem in the Birim North District.

Two others, who sustained injuries, have been admitted at the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw for treatment.

The dead were identified as Yaw Dankwa, a son of the Chief of Noyem, Kwame Opoku, his grandson, Kwame Philip, and Yaw Asamoah all from Noyem.

The names of the rest were only given as Daniel and Heavy Dee, both from the Northern Region.

Another person identified as Foster, who sustained injuries and was rushed to the Holy Family Hospital had been treated and discharged while one Ernest, who also sustained severe injuries had been referred to the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the Noyemhene, Nana Adofo Abayie II, said at about 1600 hours on Wednesday, he was at his palace when he had information that some galamsey operators had been trapped in a pit.

He said he quickly rushed to the scene and saw two of the galamsey operators, who had been rescued but they were unconscious and were being rushed to the Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital.

According to Nana Abayie, he went to the Nkawkaw Police Station to make official complaint and on his return he realized that six other operators were rescued from the pit but they were all dead and their bodies sent to the same hospital for autopsy.

Source: GNA