The Bosome Freho District Assembly in the Ashanti Region has ordered the arrest of the owner of an abandoned mining pit that claimed the lives of a woman and her child at Bobriase.
The directive follows a tragic incident in which the woman, who had her child strapped to her back, reportedly slipped and fell into a water-filled abandoned mining pit while fetching water for cooking. Both mother and child drowned.
According to reports, the incident occurred during a rainfall, which made the area around the pit slippery and dangerous.
District Chief Executive for Bosome Freho, Charles Appiah Kubi, blamed the tragedy on the failure of the mine operator to reclaim the site after mining activities, describing abandoned pits in the district as deadly hazards.
Speaking on the incident, Appiah Kubi expressed concern about the growing number of unreclaimed mining pits scattered across the district.
“When I look at Bosome Freho, it’s been almost a year since I’ve been District Chief Executive, and I came across so many abandoned pits. Some people have lost their lives through these abandoned pits. I can mention at least two or three people who have died in recent times because of them,” he said.
He explained that the recent deaths occurred while the woman was attempting to fetch water during a downpour.
“In recent times, even last week, a lady fell into one of the abandoned pits while trying to fetch water to cook. Unfortunately, it was raining and the place was slippery. She fell into the pit together with her young child, and both of them lost their lives,” he added.
The DCE disclosed that the matter has been reported to the police and efforts are underway to apprehend the owner of the mining site, who is allegedly evading arrest.
“The case has been reported to the police command, and the person responsible is now trying to avoid arrest. We want to ensure that proper work is carried out and also serve as a deterrent to others,” he stated.
Mr Appiah Kubi further revealed that the Assembly has tasked the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to compile an inventory of all abandoned mining pits across the district and identify those responsible for them.
“As I speak, we have instructed the NADMO Director to visit the various sites with abandoned pits so we can identify those who mined there. They will be traced and, if possible, arrested and taken to court,” he said.
The Bosome Freho District, regarded as one of the most deprived districts in the Ashanti Region, is littered with several abandoned pits and water-filled trenches left behind by both legal and illegal mining activities.
Meanwhile, the district has joined a land reclamation initiative involving the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, National Security and the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council.
Under the programme, small-scale miners operating in the area have reportedly agreed to reclaim mined-out lands voluntarily at no cost to the Assembly, to reduce environmental degradation and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
