Ghana: 13 Miners Die after Explosion

At least 13 illegal miners have been confirmed dead after inhaling smoke from an explosion in Ghana’s Upper East Region.

According to regional official, Paulina Abayage, the tragedy occurred early on Wednesday morning, 23 January, at a mining concession belonging to the Chinese-owned company, Shaanxi Mining Ltd, which is situated in Gbani of the Talensi District.

The miners reportedly sneaked into the area, without the knowledge that a scheduled explosion was taking place, in order to extract gold-rich rocks for processing.

Once inside, the concession exploded, leaving the miners trapped. Inhaling the chemical fumes reportedly led to their deaths.

The bodies of the miners were later retrieved from the area. Abayage explained that those affected by the blast were taken to a regional hospital for treatment.

All mining operations at Shaanxi Mining Ltd’s site have been suspended, as ordered by the Minerals Commission.

The incident comes three months after an underground cleaner died from being struck by a machine at the concession.