Three people have died after a mining pit collapsed on them in the Ashanti region, a local official said on Monday (10 August), highlighting the dangers of the unregulated small-scale mining sector.

The incident occurred around 4:00 pm Friday in Odumase-Santenso in the Asante Akyem Central municipality, caretaker assembly member Isaac Kyei Andoh said.

The victims — two women and a man aged between 21 and 25 — were trapped when the pit caved in, he said.

Two of the women were residents of nearby Bomeriso, Andoh said.

He said residents alerted him after the collapse, prompting an effort to retrieve those trapped underground.

A municipal backhoe was initially deployed but was faulty, while a privately owned machine was later arranged, Andoh said.

By the time the private equipment arrived, residents had already dug through the collapsed pit and recovered the three bodies, he said.

The bodies were retrieved between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm and taken to a mortuary after traditional rites were performed at the scene, Andoh said.

The victims were engaged in what is locally known as “one-man” mining, in which individuals use basic or makeshift equipment to dig pits in search of gold, according to the assembly member.

Ghana has a large small-scale mining sector, much of which operates illegally, with mining accidents and environmental damage posing persistent challenges.

The latest incident has renewed concerns over the safety of young people working in unregulated mining operations in the municipality.