One person has been reportedly shot dead and five others injured after some supposed thugs opened fire on a group of illegal miners at Nsadweso in the Wassa East district in the Western region.

The incident happened when the illegal miners allegedly failed to stop at a check point manned by these thugs.

An eye witness told Accra-based Citi FM that one of the men opened fire immediately when the vehicle transporting the illegal miners ignored the check point and drove past them.

“It was around 3:00 pm when we heard the gunshots. So we rushed to the scene and found one person dead and several others injured. They were rushed to the hospital. The men opened fire because the driver refused to stop so they pay their toll.”

Ghana’s heightened struggle with illegal gold mining is getting bloody, following the lynching of a Soldier who was on detachment duties at a gold mining enclave, Denkyira Boase in the Central region.

Authorities say the menace is causing environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale, hence the need to end the operations of illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’.