40 feared dead in illegal gold mine

ACCRA – About 40 people were feared dead after an illegal gold mine in Ghana collapsed last week, company officials said on Monday.

The illegal mine was on an exploration property owned by Newmont Mining Corp., the world’s largest gold producer, a spokesman for the company’s Ghanaian unit said. “A pit or pits caved in on Wednesday, but people in the community only told us on Friday,” Newmont Ghana Gold’s communications manager Mawuena Dumor said.”They estimated the number (of those inside) to be about 40 but we’re not in a position to confirm the figure or the number of pits involved.”A five-member rescue team from rival mining firm Anglogold Ashanti arrived on Saturday at the scene of the accident at Noyem-Nyafoman, a three-hour drive north-east of the capital Accra.”We’re only now at the exploration stage on the lease (at Noyem-Nyafoman) and so we didn’t have the means to rescue the miners.So Anglogold offered to help,” Dumor said.Accidents at illegal small-scale artisanal mine sites are common in Ghana, Africa’s top gold producer after South Africa.”Our rescue team is there working hard with excavators, but I’ll be surprised if they find anyone alive,” Yiadom Boakye Amponsah, human resource manager at Anglogold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine, told Reuters.Dumor said Newmont was aware that illegal mining activities were under way on its property.”Newmont has known about the illegal mining activities on the property for a year and half or so, and we’ve been working with the community and mining regulators to deal with the situation,” she said.”At this stage our concern is for the lives of those who may be trapped underground.”- Nampa-Reuters”A pit or pits caved in on Wednesday, but people in the community only told us on Friday,” Newmont Ghana Gold’s communications manager Mawuena Dumor said.”They estimated the number (of those inside) to be about 40 but we’re not in a position to confirm the figure or the number of pits involved.”A five-member rescue team from rival mining firm Anglogold Ashanti arrived on Saturday at the scene of the accident at Noyem-Nyafoman, a three-hour drive north-east of the capital Accra.”We’re only now at the exploration stage on the lease (at Noyem-Nyafoman) and so we didn’t have the means to rescue the miners.So Anglogold offered to help,” Dumor said.Accidents at illegal small-scale artisanal mine sites are common in Ghana, Africa’s top gold producer after South Africa.”Our rescue team is there working hard with excavators, but I’ll be surprised if they find anyone alive,” Yiadom Boakye Amponsah, human resource manager at Anglogold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine, told Reuters.Dumor said Newmont was aware that illegal mining activities were under way on its property.”Newmont has known about the illegal mining activities on the property for a year and half or so, and we’ve been working with the community and mining regulators to deal with the situation,” she said.”At this stage our concern is for the lives of those who may be trapped underground.”- Nampa-Reuters