Assistant headmaster of Mpatasie JHS dies in galamsey pit

A 47-year-old Assistant Headmaster of Mpatasie D/A Junior High School in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region has died after he fell into a mining pit.

Officials say Akwasi Anane had embarked on a routine trip to his mining concession at about 9 p.m., on Tuesday (October 4) when the incident occurred.

The deceased reportedly missed his step and fell into one of the abandoned mining pits. His body was immediately pulled out of the mud after a rescue mission.

He was however confirmed dead at the scene. A District Coordinator for the National Disaster Management Organization for Amansie South Edward Oduro Nsiah confirmed the development to dailymailgh.com.

“He is a teacher and he also has a concession so he went to the site very late. He stood on top of the pit and in an attempt to make a step he slipped and fell into the pit. His body has been deposited at the St. Martin’s Hospital at Agroyesum,” Nsiah said.

“The fight against galamsey is not paying off. For instance when you come to Amansie South nearly 80 percent of the indigenes are into illegal mining. In the last two months, we have lost at least six lives at separate locations and that is very worrying,” he added.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources who has already visited the mining sites at the Amansie South enclave is still amazed at the level of destruction caused to the environment by illegal miners and said the government will continue to deploy the military to clamp down on such activities.

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“It should baffle all of us as citizens and policymakers and stakeholders in this fight how an operation like this in the heart of the forest and the far away areas of our country can go on without notice by police, chiefs, the local political leadership, assembly people, the District Chief Executive and even the inspectorate division of the minerals commission here,” Mr. Jinapor said.