The Deputy Eastern Regional Director in charge of Technical and Disaster Risk Reduction at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr. Emmanuel Konja Tullah, has called on owners of mining concessions to take responsibility for pits on their land to prevent casualties.
He made the call during a visit to a mining concession at Asaman Tamfoe in the Atewa District of the Eastern Region, following an incident in which seven people were killed and four others trapped in a mining pit.
The Director urged concession owners to take responsibility and ensure that reclamation of mined lands is carried out to prevent further casualties.
“Especially the concession owners they should strengthen their oversight activities, ensuring that the necessary coordination and security measures are put in place,” he said.
He added that NADMO will partner with concession owners and other agencies to intensify public education and strengthen security around mining sites.
The Deputy Director noted that around 30 deaths have occurred in the Eastern Region as a result of mining-related incidents from January to date.
While the seven deaths reported at Asaman Tamfoe do not necessarily stem from an abandoned pit, they still form part of the broader mining-related death toll in the region.
A few days earlier, in the Ashanti Region, 23 people lost their lives after falling into an abandoned, uncovered galamsey pit while on their way to a farm, according to Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene. Eleven of those who died were children.