The lives of nearly 400 workers have been upended as Earl Mining Group announced the suspension of its operations along the Oun River, citing severe flooding caused by illegal mining activities.

The unexpected decision has left hundreds of families uncertain about their future as the company battles the aftermath of the disaster.

The flooding, triggered by heavy rains, overwhelmed the underground mining area when water from the swollen Oun River breached unauthorized mining pits connected to the company's operations.

The deluge submerged critical equipment at Shaft 4, levels 6 and 7, with an estimated 80,000 cubic meters of water engulfing the area.

The suspension of operations, the company estimates, will last for at least eight weeks.

Read the full statement below:

Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited regrets to announce that its operations have been partially suspended due to severe flooding caused by illegal mining activities along the Oun River.

On the night of August 19, 2024, heavy rains caused water from the river to flood our underground mining area through illegal mining pits, some of which were illicitly connected to our workings.

This has resulted in the submersion of equipment at Shaft 4, levels 6 and 7, with an estimated volume of 80,000 cubic meters (m³) of water, leading to the temporary displacement of close to 400 workers.

All employees on duty underground on the day of the incident were safely evacuated and surfaced.

This unfortunate development has brought huge losses to our company, with equipment worth millions of dollars damaged and significant production time lost. An assessment of the volume of floodwater currently in our underground mining area and our pumping capacity has revealed that it will take eight weeks to pump out the water and conduct a safety audit before resuming production.

Currently, large volumes of water continue to flow through these illegal mining pits, further exacerbating the situation. We call on the relevant authorities to take immediate action by bringing a closure to the existence and activities of illegal miners along the riverbank. This is key in preventing potential dangers and disaster to both the illegal miners and our workers and operations. We request urgent support to mitigate this situation and prevent future occurrences.

We will provide updates on the situation as more information becomes available.