Two people have died after a galamsey pit collapsed on them at Sefwi Datano in the Bodi District of the Western North Region, while a third person remains missing.
The deceased, identified as Kwaku Charles and Nana Dibi, are believed to have been in their early thirties.
They were reportedly digging for gold at a site where they regularly worked when the pit collapsed.
According to reports, the two were working alongside a third person who has not been accounted for since the incident.
Residents and community members rushed to the scene to help rescue the trapped miners. An excavator was also brought in to support the operation.
However, the recovery effort reportedly resulted in the head of one of the victims being severed before the bodies were retrieved.
Speaking in an interview, Datano Unit Committee member Joseph Debrah said he received a distress call that two people had been trapped in the mining pit.
He said he alerted community leaders, who mobilised some of the youth to assist with the rescue operation. The police in Bodi were also informed and joined the effort to retrieve the bodies.
The remains were subsequently transported to the Juaboso Government Hospital mortuary for preservation.
Further investigations are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The tragedy has plunged the Sefwi Datano community into mourning and renewed concerns about the dangers associated with illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey.
