Two die in abandoned gold pit

At least two people have been killed after an abandoned gold mine collapsed in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.

The pit caved in at an abandoned mining site near the town of Manso/Tontokrom that was said to be popular with illegal miners.

Rescuers removed three bodies after the collapse on Monday, police said. They were rushed to the Tontokrom Medical Facility, but two of them were pronounced dead by medics.

It was unclear how many people had been at the mine, but officials said they did not believe anyone else remained trapped.

Ghana is one of the world’s major gold producers. The country used to be known as the Gold Coast.

A police source told Dailymailgh.com that another injured miner is in a critical condition and could be transferred to a referral facility for treatment.

Illegal mining is a major concern in Ghana’s mining areas where operators use sophisticated equipment to process the ore.

“It is an abandoned pit that has attracted a lot of illegal miners,” said Kofi Owusu, a resident at Manso/Tontokrom.

He added that intense efforts by the Amansie South District Assembly, had failed to discourage such activities.

More than 120 Chinese nationals were arrested in Ghana as part of a renewed clampdown against illegal mining.