A 42-year-old mother and her three children have been confirmed dead after drowning in a water-filled galamsey pit at Wassa Dunkwa in the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region on Saturday, February 28.

The family of four had gone near the abandoned illegal mining site in search of firewood. The eldest child, aged 14, reportedly led his younger siblings into the water-filled pit.

The boys became trapped and were unable to escape. In an attempt to rescue her children, the 42-year-old mother also entered the pit but tragically drowned.

The bodies of the four family members have been deposited at the Catholic Hospital morgue. Abandoned illegal mining pits have claimed the lives of Ghanaians in recent times.

Galamsey pit collapse at Atta Ne Atta in Asutifi South has claimed the lives of nine individuals, with four others currently receiving treatment at St. Elizabeth Catholic Hospital in Hwidiem following the incident, which occurred on Monday, March 2.

Recently, a 20-year-old student, Evans Allotey, of Okomfo Anokye Senior High School (SHS), died after falling into an abandoned mining pit on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at Manso Akwesiso, Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region.

The unfortunate incident reportedly occurred while he was attempting to flee military personnel who had visited the site to crack down on illegal mining activities. In reaction to the unfortunate incident, residents staged a protest to express their dissatisfaction.

In 2025, a pit collapse at an illegal mining site at Kasotie in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region claimed the lives of seven illegal miners who were trapped underground.

The pit collapse, which occurred on Wednesday night, October 1, also left four injured, while several miners were trapped.

For years, the country's efforts to nip the canker in the bud have not yielded the needed results. Among recent measures taken to protect water bodies from illegal miners is the deployment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).

The Secretariat includes the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), the Narcotics Control Commission, and the National Security Secretariat.

Addressing the security forces, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Amarh Kofi-Buah, directed the team to ruthlessly counter the activities of galamsey operators as they are the enemies of the state.

“Any recalcitrant entering into these zones is not merely a trespasser. They are an enemy of the state. You are to be firm. You are to be resolute. You are to be ruthless.

"And please, take it from me, you will take no obstructionist instruction from any big man. Remember, the biggest man in Ghana is the President of the Republic, and he’s the one who has sent you,” Mr Kofi-Buah charged.

Government deployed soldiers to permanently guard 44 galamsey hotspots, including waterbodies and areas threatened by galamsey activities.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, September 16, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, noted, “All the 44 areas that are threatened by galamsey, there is going to be a permanent military presence”.

According to statistics from the Lands Minister, 1,400 persons have been arrested from January to August this year in the government’s efforts to crack down on galamsey.

According to him, the achievement was attained through the government's renewed efforts. He noted that the government has seized 440 excavators and more than 800 changfans.

“We have seized 440 excavators and more than 800 changfans. We have mobilised Blue Water Guards in key regions, and they are making a difference,” Mr. Buah stated.

The government’s move is a response to mounting calls to declare a state of emergency over galamsey. The river guards are selected from communities most affected by illegal mining, ensuring they have a deep understanding of the local landscape and challenges.

The government has issued an official order requiring all machinery used in mining operations to be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) by August 1st.

A statement issued by the Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday, July 15, states that the state will proceed with confiscating unregistered mining equipment after the deadline.

"The Government, as part of efforts to reform the mining sector in the country, requires that all machinery used in mining activities must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) by 1st August 2025. Equipment that remains unregistered after this deadline will be confiscated by the State," the Ministry stated on its website.

Mr Mubarak has empowered the Ghana Police Service and DVLA to begin strict enforcement of the new rule from August 2. "The Ghana Police Service and DVLA have been directed to enforce this directive from 2nd August 2025 onward rigorously. The general public, especially those who use mining machinery, is advised to take note and comply with the directive," he wrote.

The Ministry reiterates its resolve to maintain national peace through effective internal security and law enforcement. Meanwhile, a similar directive came in months ago, where excavator owners and operators were asked to register their machines with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) within two weeks or risk losing them to the state, as the government intensifies efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities.