Four illegal miners have been confirmed dead after a mining pit collapsed on them at an abandoned site in Bepotenten Sukuum, a farming community in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.
The tragedy occurred at approximately 4:00 PM on Wednesday, 27th May 2026, when the pit caved in on a group of five workers. While four of the miners died instantly at the scene, one survivor managed to escape the disaster.
Victims Identified
According to local authorities, the deceased were all residents of the Bepotenten Sukuum community.
They have been identified as 27-year-old Solomon Amediafor, popularly known as Nartey; Ezekiel Gadze aged 19; Awuku Gariba, aged 21; and 23-year-old Dennis Acquah, also known as Yaro.
Emergency Response and Investigation
Police officers from the Jacobu District Command rushed to the scene at approximately 5:30 PM following a distress call from the area’s Assemblyman, Samuel Ekwam Ananse.
Upon arrival, the police, assisted by local community volunteers, successfully recovered the bodies of the four male victims from the heavy debris.
Preliminary police investigations revealed that the victims were prospecting for gold at the abandoned site.
Notably, portions of the concession were actively undergoing environmental reclamation by a private firm when the accident happened.
A medical inspection of the bodies by police personnel revealed severe physical trauma.
Three of the victims suffered fatal head injuries due to the impact of the heavy cave-in, while Ezekiel sustained catastrophic trauma, including evisceration and a severed right foot.
Current Status
The police crime-scene unit has completed its initial processing of the site.
The bodies of the deceased have since been transported to the St. Peter’s Catholic Hospital Mortuary in Jacobu, where they are being preserved pending official autopsies.
Investigations into the precise cause of the collapse are ongoing.