Bosome Freho Assembly orders arrest after woman, child die in abandoned mine pit
The Bosome Freho District Assembly in the Ashanti Region has ordered the arrest of the owner of an abandoned mine pit that killed a woman and her child, the latest tragedy in the area’s ongoing “Mine pit tragedy” crisis. The woman, with her child strapped to her back, slipped into the water-filled pit while trying to draw water for cooking during heavy rains last week.
DCE blames owner for failing to reclaim pit
District Chief Executive Charles Appiah Kubi said the owner failed to reclaim the pit after illegal mining operations, turning it into a death trap. “It was raining, and then the place was so sleepy, and he fell into the pit, including her young child, and the two of them lost their life,” he said. The case has been reported to the police, and the owner is now trying to avoid arrest.
Abandoned pits litter deprived district
Bosome Freho is one of the deprived districts in Ashanti and is home to hundreds of uncovered mining pits. Water-filled trenches riddled in farmlands reveal traces of irresponsible mining. The DCE revealed that at least two to three people have died in abandoned pits in recent times, including the bodies of a middle-aged woman and her child found at Bobriase.
Assembly launches inventory and reclamation drive
“As I speak, we have instructed my NADMO Director to go round to the various sites for us to identify those people who mined that place, for them to be traced, and if possible, arrest,” Mr. Appiah Kubi said. The assembly is taking inventory of all abandoned pits to trace owners for court action, hoping this will serve as a deterrent to others.
Voluntary reclamation scheme signed with miners
To address the crisis, Bosome Freho has signed up for a reclamation program under the Lands Ministry, National Security, and the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council. Under the new scheme, small-scale miners operating in the area have voluntarily agreed to reclaim all mined-out lands at no cost to the assembly.
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