Twelve people have died after suffocating in a mining tunnel in the Gbane community in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.
The miners are said to have died from inhaling toxic gases from a blast while underground in a mining tunnel close to another mining concession serviced by a Chinese company called Shaanxi.
Several others are also on admission at the Bolgantaga Regional hospital and Afrikids hospital receiving treatment for the effect of suffocation.
The incident is said to have occurred on Tuesday, at about 10pm.
The victims are reported to have died between 1am and 2am.
Police account
The Upper East Regional Staff Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr Adam Ahmed Mahama who confirmed the incident to news men, said the incident occurred after Shaanxi Mining Company had blasted some rocks in a tunnel which intersects parts of the tunnel in which the victims were working.
According to him, Shaanxi Mining Company did their blasting at about 10 pm Tuesday, January 22, adding that according to the company, before they did their blasting, they went to check the tunnel if there was someone in it.
He said during the recce, they found some of the victims then working in the tunnel so they (staff of Shanxii) sacked them and “even arrested some.”
A citizen of the community, Kenneth Singah, who also spoke with the Graphic Online said “the guys have created their own tunnel which intersects that of Shaanxi underground so they (Shaanxi) should have informed them before the blasting.”
According to him, this is not the first-time people have died underground after inhaling toxic gases from mine blast from the Shaanxi company.
“There are a lot of small-scale miners around the area. People have been dying there regularly,” Mr Singah said.