Eleven people, said to be galamseyers, who got trapped in a pit belonging to the AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) Obuasi Mine, have been rescued.
Earlier, it was believed they were about 30, but the Assemblyman for the Ahansonyewodea Electoral Area, Vincent Donkor, who confirmed the story, said they were 11 and were all in good health though looked pale and weak, when rescued by a team of security personnel, on Wednesday.
But, the Ghanaian Times gathered that the rescue mission was accelerated by the President’s visit to Obuasi, yesterday to climax a four-day working tour to parts of the Ashanti Region.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had visited Obuasi to inspect the 30km Anwia-Nkwanta to Obuasi road, and also inspected the Trauma and Accident Hospital in Obuasi, which falls under the Agenda 111 project.
The galamseyers were reported to have sneaked into the pit at Anwiam, a suburb of Obuasi, to prospect for gold, last Saturday, and had been under the ground for five days and relatives of victim raised the alarm.
The Ghanaian Times reported the incident in its Wednesday, October 19 edition.
According to Mr Donkor, the victims were rescued at 2pm on Wednesday before the arrival of the President in Obuasi.
Earlier, Mr Donkor said that he was informed by some relatives of the victims at about 3am on Tuesday that their relatives have gone missing for five days after leaving their respective homes in search of gold.
Mr Donkor said he went to the security office of AGA, who asked that the matter be formally reported at the local police station for action.
According to the Assembly Member, the security personnel of the AGA had also confirmed that the ‘illegal miners’, had sent a signal to the security detail at the entrance to the pit that they were afraid to come out of the pit for fear of being arrested.
Mr. Donkor said he received signals from victims in the pit suggesting that they could lose their lives since they have become very feeble after consuming all their food and water being under the ground for the past five days.
The pit is being protected by security personnel, but it was not known whether where (pit) the victims went to prospect for gold had been abandoned by AGA or not.
According to Mr Donkor when AGA wanted to close such pits they would make an announcement, but in this case, no announcement had been made.
A police source contacted at the Obuasi Divisional Command said it had not received any information about the incident.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
