Ten illegal miners (galamsey operators) were buried alive in separate incidents at Noyem in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region and Manso-Fawotrikye in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region last Wednesday when the pits in which they were digging for gold caved in. While six miners perished in the incident at Noyem, near New Abirem, four were trapped to death at Manso-Fawotrikye. The scene of the accident at Noyem is near the spot where about eight other illegal miners were killed in a pit in 2006. The bodies of the six miners in the Noyem incident were identified as Yaw Dankwah, Philip Kwame, Kwame Opoku, Daniel Attah, one Asamoah, all from Noyem, and another person known only as Heavy Dee believed to have come from Achiase. Their bodies have been deposited at the Holy Family Hospital morgue in Nkawkaw. Two others, Forster Akomea and one Ernest, both from Noyem, who survived the tragedy were said to have been treated and discharged at the same hospital. The victims of the Manso-Fawotrikye incident were identified as Akwasi Appiagyei, Clement Abanga, Charles Appiah and Akwasi Ascona. Their bodies have been retrieved by the police and deposited at the Agroyesum Saint Martin's Catholic Hospital mortuary. Three others who were injured were identified as Afua Mansah, 32, Akua Kobi, 28, and Kwabena Ofori, 14. They are receiving treatment at the same hospital. In the incident at Noyem, the illegal miners were operating on a concession belonging to Space Rock-Star Mining Company, a registered and licensed small-scale mining concern. Workers of the company, on March 20, this year, suspended their activities at the spot after realising that it was too dangerous to be in the pit. According to Mr Appiah Dankwah, the Board Chairman of the mining company, the management ordered its miners to suspend activities at the spot for fear that the walls could cave in. He said the company was waiting for some special mining equipment to remove the top layers of the rocks at the spot but the illegal miners, who did not know the nature of the pit, sneaked in to operate, during which the walls of the pit caved in, burying them alive. Mr Dankwah said it took workers of the company and others in the town about eight hours to rescue the survivors and retrieve the bodies of the victims. A Senior Mines Inspector in charge of Small-Scale Mining at the Minerals Commission, Mr John Yankey, who was on site to access the situation, explained that the illegal miners operated at a very dangerous spot by undercutting the rocks referred to as lotiloti in local mining parlance. He said any miner who engaged in lotiloti did not normally survive. When the Daily Graphic team visited the scene Thursday, the Kwahu West Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Thomas Osei, and some of his men were there to access the situation. Also at the scene were the Chief of Noyem, Nana Adofo Abayie, and the Assembly Member for the area, Mr Joseph Akonotey. They told the Daily Graphic that efforts were being made to bury the victims. A visit to Noyem revealed absolute quietness in the town. Some of the people who spoke to the Daily Graphic said it was normal for a miner to die and likened the tragedy to falling dead on the battlefield. According to a Ghana News Agency report, the four illegal miners at Manso-Fawotrikye lost their lives, while the three others suffered cuts and broken bones, when a 26-feet deep pit collapsed on them. The Amansie West District Chief Executive, Mr Charles Oti-Prempeh, accompanied by the District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police Stephen Kwakye, has visited the community to express his condolence to the bereaved families and inspect the disaster scene. Addressing the people, the DCE called on illegal miners to regularise their activities by applying for licences to engage in small-scale mining. Mr Oti-Prempeh urged the youth not to allow the lust for money to drive them into potentially risky ventures. Source: Daily Guide/Ghana