Thirteen illegal small-scale miners operating at the Gbane community in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region have been confirmed dead in a mining pit as a result an explosion that occurred here yesterday.
They were said to have inhaled poisonous gas as a result of the mining explosion.
A source at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity confirmed the story.
The source added that some of the injured were receiving medical attention at the hospital.
An eyewitness told the Ghanaian Times that the incident happened around 3:10 a.m. on Wednesday and that the bodies have been retrieved from the mining pit and deposited at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital morgue.
The Mineral Commission has ordered the immediate closure of the mining company for investigations to be carried out, and officials of the company invited by the police for questioning in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd has denied any wrong doing.
The Public Relations Officer of the company, Mr Maxwell Wooma, indicated that the mining pit where the explosion occurred belonged to one Kwesi Appiah popularly known as “Bantama” who had allegedly engaged some of the youth in the area for mining activities.
He stated that although the mining pit was close to the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Ltd , it did not mean that the Company should be held responsible for any eventuality that occur to other small scale mining outfits in the area.
“I received a call around 1:00 a.m. that some people had been brought to the regional hospital and others to the Afrikids Medical Centre and are alleged to have inhaled gases when they were doing their operations. So, I asked whether these were our staff and they said ‘no’, Wooma said.
“They are not our staff. Most of these things happen at the blind side of our own operations. But because we are very close to them, they usually use us as a convenient alibi when these accidents occur. It’s in the course of their own operations that this has occurred.”
“When we get to the hospital, we can establish who brought who, how many did the person bring, at what time and where they working? At least, this should be able to assist the public with the truth and the facts. It’s very clear that the (victims) were not our staff,” Mr Wooma said.
Meanwhile as at the time of filing this report, the Bolgatanga Municipal Police Commander together with the District Chief Executive for the Talensi District,Dr Christopher Boatbil, were at the mining site holding crunch meeting with the stakeholders and to also study the situation.
From Samuel Akapule, Gbane
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