By Mercy Lokko Adjei Sarfo
Earl International Gold Limited, a mining company in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, has partially suspended its operations due to severe flooding caused by illegal mining activities along the Oun River, a tributary of the White Volta.
In a statement issued by the Public Relations Department, the company regret to announce the partial suspension of its operations.
The statement explained that heavy rains on August 19, 2024, caused water from the Oun River to flood the underground mining area through illegal mining pits, resulting in the submersion of equipment at Shaft 4, levels 6 and 7.
The flooding, estimated to be around 80,000 cubic meters, led to the temporary displacement of nearly 400 workers. Fortunately, all employees on duty underground at the time of the incident were safely evacuated.
The company suffered significant losses, with equipment worth millions of dollars damaged and substantial production time lost.
An assessment revealed that it will take eight weeks to pump out the water and conduct a safety audit before resuming production.
The statement emphasized that the continued flow of large volumes of water through the illegal mining pits exacerbated the situation, calling on relevant authorities to take immediate action to stop the activities of illegal miners along the riverbank.
Below is the Press release :
