A reported belief that gold may be buried beneath the remains of Obuasi’s historic Town Hall has triggered a rush to the site, with residents digging through the debris in search of the precious mineral.
The Town Hall building, believed to have stood for more than 100 years, was gutted by fire on Saturday night, September 5, 2026, before eventually collapsing.
Videos circulating on social media show several residents at the site, breaking apart blocks and searching through the rubble in the hope of finding gold.
Some of those at the scene could be heard expressing their desperation, with one person saying, “We are hungry. Just Town Hall and we are digging. We have been hungry for long.”
Another voice in the footage claimed that the building was “full of gold”, further fuelling interest in the site.
According to reports circulating on social media, some individuals have allegedly recovered gold from the remains. The claims have reportedly encouraged even more residents to converge on the area in search of what they believe could be valuable deposits beneath the collapsed structure.
The more-than-100-year-old building, located at the Obuasi Central Market, was previously used by more than 300 master tailors and their apprentices.
The fire destroyed an estimated 300 to 400 sewing and knitting machines belonging to the craftsmen and their apprentices.
Firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control with support from three stations, including the Fomena and Obuasi Municipal fire stations, as well as personnel and fire tenders deployed by AngloGold.
The reported gold rush has since added another layer to the aftermath of the fire, as residents continue to sift through the remains of the historic building in search of the precious mineral.
