22 trapped illegal miners given mass burial

A mass burial has been organised for 22 illegal miners who were trapped in a galamsey pit at Nsuta near Prestea in the Western Region on Sunday.

This was after a search and rescue team indicated that the bodies of the trapped illegal miners could not be retrieved.

In a radio interview with Accra based, Citi FM, the Deputy Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Mr Benito Owusu Bio said the total number of victims were 22.

He explained that the total number trapped in the pit was 22, "we have identified them by name and age. The 14 or 17 earlier quoted were understated.'

He added that the site had been closed down after religious rituals were performed for the victims.

Read also; Galamsey pit swallows 19; 14 feared dead

“A Catholic mass was held for the dead. Islamic and traditional prayers were also offered. All the customary rites have been performed and we assume they are all dead and we are sealing up the pit. We are piling rocks and debris on it to the extent that nobody can reach that part again.”

He called on Ghanaians, particularly residents in the Prestea Huni Valley District to help end the illegality.

“The unfortunate thing is that, this particular type of galamsey is very difficult to locate so we are appealing to the general public especially the people of Prestea and its environs to help us by actually locating where they are so that we can ask the military to flush them out.”