The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Prestea Huni-Valley in the Western Region, Dr. Isaac Dasmani, has disclosed that the ten miners who died after a mining pit collapsed on them in Prestea yesterday, November 25, 2021, can be classified as illegal miners.
The MCE giving an update on the ten persons who lost their lives intimated that, the miners were working illegally on a concession without permission and as such did not adhere to the right measures.
“We can classify them as illegal miners because they were working on someone’s concessions. The owners cannot cover all the concessions so they hide and are working. It was rock mining. They were just digging the rocks without taking into consideration safety measures”.
Dr. Isaac Dasmani
Giving an account of the unfortunate incident, he explained that the pit caved in on the miners who unfortunately could not escape. He noted that the 4 persons who survived are currently undergoing treatment.
“We removed all those trapped yesterday. They were fourteen in total and ten died. The four are still receiving treatment. Doctors are taking X-ray and they are responding to the treatment. Some people were safe so they released the information that they were fourteen trapped”.
Dr. Isaac Dasmani
Mining dynamics are different
Dr. Dasmani noted that the mining dynamics are different on the concessions. He explained that some of the miners use excavators and they can be seen but when it comes to rock mining, the miners cannot be seen and have been warned to be cautious. He thus called for more security personnel to come to its aid to stop these illegal miners.
“We have formed a security task taskforce where we are doing the campaigns, moving from one community to the other but some of them in the night will hide themselves and do galamsey. The ‘Operation Halt’ Galamsey come in and go. They are not stationed here. The municipality is big and as such, we need more men to fight it”.
Dr. Isaac Dasmani
The MCE assured that he would convene a meeting to address the issue and draw a roadmap to tackle the issue so it does not happen again.
Dr. Dasmani therefore called for permanent establishment of the Rapid Response Taskforce and the government’s anti-illegal mining taskforce, Operation Halt Galamsey, in the municipality.
The MCE said the Municipality is so large that the ad hoc nature of the Rapid Response Taskforce and the government’s anti-illegal mining taskforce is not helping and its permanency would be paramount in the area.
NADMO on Prestea pit collapse
Earlier, the Prestea Huni Valley NADMO Director, Francis Abeiku Yankah, assured his outfit will ensure the pit is sealed and proposed measures to avert the repetition of such avoidable accidents.
“We will fill the pits but they will go back within a month or two. So, the solution is for the MCE and the regional council to release the site for community mining or small-scale mining. Then, we can give them the safety measure”.
Dr. Isaac Dasmani
Francis Abeiku Yankah stated that the victims were engaging in illegal mining when the pit caved in. He mentioned that since the pit is far away from where the municipal town assembly is, the residents of the community began the rescue and were later joined by the police, NADMO and BNI officials.
