3 Miners Killed At Bogoso

Three small scale illegal gold miners, popularly known as 'galamsey' operators, have died at a site called Bogo, about 500 meters from the main Bogoso Township in the Western Region.

They were allegedly swallowed up by water which instantly gushed out from the pit in which they were prospecting for gold on Monday January 21, according to John Kofi, a 28-year old 'galamsey' operator and the only survivor when the disaster struck.

The decomposed bodies of Kofi Bedu, 39 and Andrew Tawiah, 38, were retrieved from the 'galamsey' pit yesterday afternoon, through the use of a pumping machine to draw out the water.

As at the time of filing this story, the body of Kweku Addae, 30, was yet to be retrieved from the pit, which was reportedly full of water, despite efforts by his colleagues.

Briefing DAILY GUIDE in a telephone chat yesterday, Superintendent Ben Wonkyi, the Prestea District Police Commander, said police had information from one Maxwell Owudo, Unit Committee chairman of Bogoso that there was a disaster at Bogo 'galamsey' site on Monday, January 21.

He added that four men who were in a 'galamsey' pit prospecting for gold were said to have been trapped by water from underground, which filled the entire pit in no time and that they were feared dead.

When police rushed to the scene with the complainant, they met many 'galamsey' operators at Bogo site seriously drawing water from the said pit with their pumping machines.

It was there that the police had information that one John Kofi was able to get out of the pit as the water tried to swallow the four 'galamsey' operators up and then raised the alarm which prompted the rescue operation.

The police commander added that yesterday afternoon two out of the three bodies were retrieved from the pit, and they were in a decomposed state.

He said the bodies would be sent to either Prestea or Wassa Akropong Government Hospital for advice from the Medical Superintendent before being released to the families for burial.

Superintendent Wonkyi said the police would thoroughly investigate the case, and added that relatives of the deceased and some 'galamsey' operators burst into tears when the two bodies were retrieved from the pit.