Father, son drown in Obuasi
A father and his son have drowned in an abandoned galamsey pit at Matemeho, a farming community near Sanso in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
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The body of the two, Kwame Owusu, 43, and Stephen Aidoo, 15, who were believed to be going to their farm, were spotted floating on the abandoned galamsey pit by some community members yesterday morning.
A source at the Obuasi Central Police Station said after the police had been informed of the incident, they rushed to the scene, removed the bodies and deposited them at the Obuasi Government Hospital for autopsy.
Currently, residents of the area are living in fear because they are surrounded by many deep abandoned galamsey pits, most of them filled with water, while others have been taken over by weeds.
The number of people who lose their lives by falling accidently into abandoned galamsey pits has gone up over the last three years because of the increasing number of illegal mining operations.
More deaths
In January 2014, 17 people died when they fell into abandoned galamsey pits in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region.
Around March 2014, five persons, including a one-year-old baby, lost their lives when they got trapped in a mine pit at Akokonso, near the Odaw River in the Amansie Central District, also in the Ashanti Region.
They were identified as Adwoa Konadu, 27; Akwasi Atobra, 42; Kwadwo Addai, 34; his wife Adwoa Anokyewaa, 27, and their baby Sarah Anokyewaa.
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Meanwhile, the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Africa Network (ASMAN) said in September last year that the government must take some responsibility for the deaths caused by abandoned illegal mining pits (galamsey sites).
ASMAN is a non-governmental platform involved in natural resources and environmental governance advocacy, particularly the promotion of responsible and sustainable small-scale mining.
Not too long ago President Mahama established an inter-ministerial task force to flush out many foreign illegal miners, mostly Chinese, from the country.
But the problem still exists, with many Chinese leading the galamsey operations.