Four illegal miners have died following a devastating mining pit collapse at Bepotenten Sukuum, a farming community in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.
The tragic incident occurred at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, when a mining pit suddenly caved in on a group of miners engaged in illegal mining activities at an abandoned site within the community.
The four victims reportedly died instantly after being trapped beneath the debris. Three of the deceased persons have been identified as Nartey Solomon, 30, Ezekiel, 22, Awudu, 27, and Yaro, 26, all residents of Bepotenten Sukuum.
Police at Jacobu received information about the incident at about 5:30 p.m. following a distress call from the assemblyman for the area, Samuel Ekwam Ananse. Officers immediately proceeded to the scene together with local residents and emergency responders.
Police Investigations and Recovery Efforts
Preliminary investigations conducted by the police revealed that the victims, together with one survivor, were carrying out mining activities at the abandoned concession when the pit unexpectedly collapsed.
Authorities indicated that portions of the land where the tragedy occurred are currently undergoing reclamation by a private company. Despite ongoing reclamation activities, illegal miners reportedly continued to operate within the area in search of gold deposits.
Upon arrival at the scene, police officers, assisted by community members, discovered the bodies of the four adult males after they had been retrieved from the debris by local residents who rushed to the site in an attempt to rescue them.
A police inspection of the bodies revealed severe injuries resulting from the collapse. One of the victims, identified as Ezekiel, reportedly sustained catastrophic injuries, including a severed right foot and extensive abdominal injuries.
The remaining victims suffered various degrees of serious head injuries caused by the falling earth and debris. The police crime scene team later examined the area and conveyed the bodies to the mortuary at St. Peter’s Catholic Hospital for preservation and autopsy.
Growing Concerns Over Illegal Mining Activities
The latest tragedy has once again drawn attention to the persistent dangers associated with illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, across the country.
Illegal mining operations continue to thrive in several communities despite intensified government enforcement campaigns and strict penalties under Ghana’s mining laws.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that many of the abandoned pits being targeted by illegal miners are structurally unstable and highly vulnerable to collapse.
The incident at Bepotenten Sukuum comes only weeks after intensified operations by the National Anti Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat led to several dawn raids and the dismantling of organized illegal mining syndicates in parts of the Ashanti Region and other mining areas.
Under Ghana’s mining laws, individuals found engaging in illegal mining activities can face prison sentences ranging from 15 to 25 years. However, the practice remains widespread due to unemployment, poverty, and the lure of quick financial returns from gold prospecting.
Series of Fatal Mining Pit Collapses
The Amansie Central tragedy adds to a growing list of fatal mining pit collapses recorded across the country within the past two years. In April 2026, two people died at Dansame in the Central Region after a newly excavated mining pit collapsed on workers.
A 22 year old woman and a 25 year old man were confirmed dead, while another victim sustained critical injuries. Another collapse at the Aniakragya Subriso mining hotspot in the Central Region left one miner dead and three others seriously injured after an illegal mining site caved in between two communities.
Authorities later disclosed that some local actors attempted to suppress information about the incident out of fear of security crackdowns.
In March 2026, a more devastating collapse at Atta Ne Atta in the Ahafo Region claimed 10 lives after heavy rainfall triggered a major structural failure at an abandoned pit located on an old cocoa farm. Joint rescue teams from the Ghana Police Service and the National Disaster Management Organisation later retrieved the bodies.
The Ashanti Region itself has witnessed multiple fatal incidents in recent years. At Kasotie and Mpasatia in the Atwima Mponua District, separate cave ins in 2025 resulted in the deaths of at least 11 miners within a six month period.
Causes and Wider Impact
Mining experts and disaster management officials have attributed many of the recurring collapses to unsafe mining methods and weak soil structures around abandoned concessions.
Most illegal miners excavate deep vertical shafts manually without proper reinforcement or retaining structures to hold back loose earth. During periods of heavy rainfall, the soil around uncovered pits becomes weakened, significantly increasing the risk of sudden cave ins.
Authorities also say many illegal miners encroach on abandoned concessions previously worked by heavy machinery, leaving behind fragile soil formations that can collapse without warning. Beyond the immediate danger to miners, abandoned galamsey pits continue to pose a major threat to nearby communities.
Officials from the National Disaster Management Organisation in the Central Region recently disclosed that at least 22 people drowned in abandoned water filled mining pits within a seven month period, with many of the victims reported to be school children.
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