Cyanide explosion kills three at galamsey pit
The explosion of a container containing cyanide at a galamsey mining site at Gbane, a community in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region has killed three, leaving several others with various degrees of injuries.
Information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) indicated that the galamsey miners were undertaking their operations in a pit last week Thursday when the cyanide blasting occurred resulting in the caving-in of parts of the pit.
About 15 miners were in the pit at the time of the incident, most of who managed to get out of it, and were rushed to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, where six of them, who were in critical conditions, were transferred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) last Friday.
Dr Prosper Akanbong, Chief Executive Officer of TTH told GNA that three of those transferred to the TTH died, two were treated and discharged whiles one was still on admission.
Dr Akanbong said those who were transferred to the TTH had difficulty in breathing as a result of the inhalation of cyanide, and injuries as a result of the partial caving-in of the mining pit.
Kulemzang Dong, 23, from Gbane, a survivor of the incident, who was still on admission at the TTH, told GNA that he collapsed when the incident occurred and only woke up to find himself at the hospital.
He complained of pains in the chest.
Source: GNA