One body has been recovered from the pit which caved in trapping seventeen [17] illegal miners underground at Nsuta near Prestea in the Western Region.

The Prestea District Police Commander, Superintendent Joseph Atsu Dzineku said rescue efforts are ongoing to get to the others.

He said rescue teams from NADMO and the GoldStar Mining Company are helping in the operation.

Superintendent Dzineku said officials from the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry are also at the scene on a fact finding mission.

Close to 48 hours after the collapse of an illegal mining pit in Prestea-Nsuta in the Western Region, 14 out of the 19 small-scale miners that were trapped are yet to be rescued from the over 80 feet deep pit.

Five of the illegal miners that were trapped managed to escape by their own efforts.

District Police commander for Nsuta, Superintendent Atsu Dzineku, told Joy News rescue efforts are still ongoing.

“We assume that are all alive and dead...the galamsey boys are assisting the police. They are there because they know the area. They are in the pit,” he said.

Sunday’s collapse is the latest in many mining disasters that have been recorded in the past.

A number of arrests have been made and excavators owned by the galamsey miners have been seized by the government taskforce set up to fight illegal mining.