Amewu stops Shanxii from mining

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, has ordered Shanxii Mining Ghana Limited to stop work following the death of a 35-year old miner, Samuel Bang, in the Upper East Region.

The death of Mr Bang, an employee of the mining company, brings to seven the number of mining-related deaths reported in the area since May 2013.

Mr Bang was buried alive while drilling, after the pit in which he was working suddenly caved in.

The company, however, said the death was an accident and not because of negligence as some town folks had accused.

Shanxii Mining is, meanwhile, cooperating with the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) which is investigating the circumstances of his death.

The youth in the area have accused the company of not duly following assessment hazards leading to staff inhaling poisonous gases in the mines resulting in death and other health problems.

However, at a press conference on Thursday 4 May, the company insisted it could not be held accountable for the deaths of the miners and were unhappy about its indefinite closure.