A galamsey pit collapse at Mpasatia Yaw Nkwantah in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region has claimed the lives of two individuals, with rescue efforts ongoing to locate others feared trapped underground.

The tragic incident, which occurred on Tuesday morning, has sparked urgent operations by local residents and security agencies to retrieve those still buried under the rubble. Eyewitnesses say the collapse was sudden, leaving little time for those inside to escape.

According to residents, the mining site is privately owned, and individuals have been allowed to operate there without proper oversight. A local, Nana Nkansah, attributed the collapse to unsafe mining practices.

Speaking to JoyNews, he is quoted to have said, “they had mined deep into the pits. The top had become weak and that is how the place caved in.” Many of the miners in the area reportedly use rudimentary tools to dig dangerously deep shafts without reinforcement.

The bodies of the deceased have been transported to a morgue as officials work to identify them and notify their families. Authorities have yet to confirm the number of people still trapped, as the search operation intensifies.

This latest collapse marks the second time a disaster of this nature has occurred at the same illegal mining site, raising renewed concerns over the continued dangers of galamsey operations in the area. Despite intensified efforts by the Ashanti Regional Security Council to clamp down on illegal mining, unregulated activities persist in several parts of the region.