Saanso(W/R), April 18, GNA - Barely three days after nine small-scale miners lost their lives in a pit at Japa-Dadieso near Wassa Akropong in the Amenfi East District, another three were feared dead at Saanso near Huni-Valley in the Wassa West District all in the Western Region when a pit in which they were working in caved in on Wednesday, April 18.

The deceased were identified as James Boa and Addae both aged 21 and hailing from Wassa Nkwanta near Wassa Nsuaem and Kingsley 38, a citizen of Beahu near Takoradi.

Three other miners who managed to escape sustained injuries and are responding to treatment at the Huni-Valley clinic. They are Evans Nyamekye who had a fracture on his left hand and Kaarsum who had a broken leg and Kwaku Amoako who had some bruises on his legs.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the scene of the accident Amoako said the incident occurred between 0800 and 0900 hours on Wednesday, April 18.

He said blasting was carried out on Tuesday, April 17 and in the morning a group of 18 small scale miners, made up of nine women and nine men went to the site and begun carting loose ore from the pit to the surface for processing.

According to Amoako initially, seven people including himself entered but one was asked to leave the pit and six of them remained. He said after some time he realised that some loose materials were falling into the pit and called his colleagues to come out when he was leaving the pit but unfortunately the three were trapped and feared dead while the other two who managed to leave sustained injuries. In the evening a rescue team made up of personnel from Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL) and the Police arrived at the scene to evacuate the deceased. 18 April 07