Seven Dead and Four Missing Following Galamsey Pit Collapse at Asaman Tamfoe

Tragedy struck the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region late Thursday night after a mining pit collapsed at Asaman Tamfoe, claiming the lives of at least seven individuals. The incident occurred at approximately 11:00 p.m. on August 29, 2026, as a group of miners were reportedly searching for gold at a reclaimed mining site. While seven bodies have been recovered from the debris, rescue teams and local authorities are still working to locate four additional miners who remain unaccounted for.

The alarm was raised by two miners who managed to escape the initial collapse and quickly alerted the Asaman Tamfoe community. This led to a large-scale mobilization of rescue efforts, involving the Anyinam District Police and various emergency services. Of the seven victims retrieved, five have been identified as residents of Moseaso, while the other two were from the Asaman Tamfoe community. The victims were found unresponsive after a police-led evacuation operation was initiated at the site.

The collapse highlights the extreme dangers associated with illegal mining, or "galamsey," particularly at sites that have been previously reclaimed or abandoned. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to find the four individuals still feared trapped underground. Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased have been moved to a local morgue for preservation and further examination. The Anyinam District Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse to determine the safety protocols that were bypassed.

This latest disaster in the Eastern Region serves as a somber reminder of the human cost of unregulated mining activities. Despite ongoing national discussions regarding the environmental and physical risks of galamsey, the promise of gold continues to lure many into unstable and life-threatening environments. The incident at Asaman Tamfoe is expected to renew calls for more stringent oversight of reclaimed mining sites and more effective enforcement of mining safety laws across the country.