Three miners killed in pit collapse at Odumase-Santenso

Three people, aged between 21 and 25, died following a mining pit collapse in Odumase-Santenso within the Asante Akyem Central municipality of Ghana's Ashanti Region. The victims, consisting of two women and one man, were engaged in “one-man” mining, a form of small-scale gold mining using makeshift equipment.

The incident occurred around 4:00 pm on Friday, August 7. Local caretaker assembly member Isaac Kyei Andoh reported that residents attempted to rescue those trapped after being alerted to the collapse. While a municipal backhoe was initially requested, it was reported as faulty. By the time private machinery arrived, local residents had already manually recovered the bodies. Traditional rites were performed at the scene before the remains were taken to a mortuary.

The accident has renewed discussions regarding the safety risks and environmental impact of unregulated and illegal small-scale mining operations in the region.