Five persons have died after an illegal mining pit caved in at Ayamfuri in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region.

Fifteen other illegal miners have sustained severe injuries, according to reports on the fatal incident.

“The illegal miners were working in an abandoned mining pit between Ayamfuri and Gyaman when the unfortunate incident happened,” according to a report by Citi News.

According to the reports, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has conveyed the dead bodies to the Dunkwa government hospital morgue.

The NADMO Director for Upper Denkyira West District, Mr Isaac Gyasi, explained that at around 3 pm on Thursday, October 1, 2020, the Organisation received information that some illegal miners who were operating between Ayanfuri and Gyaman in the Upper Denkyira West had died after the mining pit they were working in caved in.

“A rescue team involving the police and NADMO moved to the area and were able to rescue the 20 illegal miners but unfortunately for them, five persons died in the process,” the Upper Denkyira West NADMO Director told Citi News.

According to the District NADMO Director, the mining pit belongs to a mining company operating in the area but the illegal miners found their way into the pit to work leading to the unfortunate incident.