Four illegal miners have died after a mining pit collapsed at Bepotenten Sukuum, a farming community in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region.
The tragic incident occurred at about 16:00 on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, when a pit at an abandoned mining site suddenly caved in while the victims were working underground.
The deceased have been identified as Nartey Solomon, 30, Ezekiel, 22, Awudu, 27, and Yaro, 26. All four were residents of Bepotenten Sukuum.
Police at Jacobu reportedly received information about the collapse around 17:30 after the assemblyman for the area, Samuel Ekwam Ananse, alerted authorities. Officers immediately proceeded to the scene to begin rescue and investigation efforts.
Preliminary police investigations indicated that the victims, together with one survivor, were engaged in illegal mining activities at the abandoned site when the ground suddenly gave way.
Police said parts of the land are currently being reclaimed by a private company.
With support from community members, officers recovered the bodies of the four miners from the debris after local residents had pulled them out of the collapsed pit.
Police inspection at the scene revealed that the victims sustained severe injuries as a result of the collapse.
According to investigators, Ezekiel suffered catastrophic injuries, including a severed right foot and evisceration. The three other victims sustained various degrees of head injuries.
The police crime-scene team later examined the site before conveying the bodies to the St. Peter’s Catholic Hospital Mortuary in Jacobu for preservation and autopsy.
The incident adds to growing concerns over the dangers associated with illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, across parts of Ghana.
