The six are still missing after becoming caught during the town's Wednesday (September 28) torrential rainstorm.

According to eyewitness accounts, at least six people are trapped in a galamsey hole in Twepiase near Kibi in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The six got trapped as a result of a heavy rainstorm that hit the town on Wednesday (28 September) and is yet to be retrieved.

Unconfirmed reports say one of the alleged illegal miners was retrieved dead and deposited at the Kyebi government hospital morgue by a joint rescue team of police and residents.

The police have been at the scene Wednesday to assess the situation. The police are yet to comment on the situation.

Although Ghana requires permits to mine on a small scale, it is estimated that about 70% of small-scale miners are unregistered and operate illegally.

They are known locally as galamsey, meaning to “gather and sell”. While illegal mining supports livelihoods, it has caused severe damage to the environment, especially water bodies across the country.