A-22-Year old small scale illegal Miner from Sekyere-Boase in the Wassa-East District of the Western Region, Mr. Gyamieu Karim has been found dead after a mining pit in which he was mining, caved-in and trapped him dead.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area and Chairman of DISEC, Mr. Wilson Arthur who confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency, said upon information received that illegal mining activity had returned to the River Pra and other sites, he facilitated and ordered the Security agencies to respond to the situation.
The District NIB officer on May 27, led a team of 10 Police personnel and 10 District Assembly illegal mining Taskforce to mining areas such as Amponsahso, Mampongso, Anyinabirem and Abeitimasu.
The team found miners working at Amponsahso and Abeitimasu on minor Rivers closed to the River Pra.
Mr. Arthur said the team could not effect any arrest as all of them fled.
He said three boats with six Chang fan machines were however intercepted at Abeitimasu and later destroyed.
Two pumping machines were also intercepted at Amponsahso across the River Pra.
On returning” the team was informed by elders of Sekyere Krobo that one illegal miner from Sekyere Boase namely; Gyamiew Karim, aged 22, was working on illegal mining site krobo…and was trapped to death when a pit he entered caved in…we visited the scene and found the body”.
Two of the Chang fan machines were brought to the police station.
The DISEC Chairman said for the sake of evidence, the team would be picking the criminals at dawn and have them prosecuted.