Four suspected illegal miners have died after a galamsey pit collapsed at Skuumu near Gyaman-Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region, authorities and local sources said on Thursday.

The incident occurred around 4:00 pm on Wednesday (27 May) in the Amansie Central District, leaving the community in shock and mourning.

According to preliminary information, the abandoned mining site had recently been handed over to Logist Group Company Limited for reclamation works.

However, the victims are said to have entered the site illegally to mine when the pit suddenly caved in, trapping them underground.

Security personnel, including the Ghana Police Service, were deployed to the scene as rescue operations began shortly after the collapse.

Excavators were later used to retrieve the bodies from the debris, according to local accounts.

Residents said the victims included a man identified as Solomon Amadevor and three others whose names have not yet been officially released.

Illegal mining, locally known as galamsey, remains a major environmental and safety challenge in parts of Ghana, with frequent accidents reported at abandoned or active sites.

Authorities have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.