Four illegal miners who were prospecting for gold died in separate incidents at Kumi in Nkwanta, a town near Wassa Akropong in the Western Region, and Kenyasi in the Brong Ahafo on Thursday. At Kumi-Nkwanta, two of the'galamsey' operators perished when the pit in which they were prospecting for gold collapsed on them. The incident took place less than 24 hours after a special military-police task force had raided the operational area and arrested some local people, an Ivorian and Chinese nationals who were said to be taking over the illegal mining activities there and seized their equipment. The dead were identified as lssa Sissa, 30, and Adama Dargarti, 29. In the Kenyasi incident, a power generating plant which had caught fire came into contact with dynamite which exploded, resulting in the death of two of the illegal miners. The two, whose bodies were said to have been burnt beyond recognition were part of a large number of ‘galamsey’ operators who were said to be fleeing the scene when the explosion occurred. Twenty others Who were caught in the melee also sustained injuries but 16 of them were treated at and discharged from the Hwidiem Elizabeth Hospital The deceased are yet to be identified According to the Wassa Akropong Police,the deceased at Kumi-Nkwanta were said to be working on the shoulders of the pit when the soft earth under them gave way and dragged them into the pit. The police said the colleagues of the deceased were not able to detect the incident; as the noise emanating from the machines "which the other operators were using made it difficult for them to hear the victims' cries for help. They said it took a long time for them to retrieve the bodies, as rescuers had to dig systematically in order not to further harm those trapped before locating the bodies. The bodies have been deposited at the Wassa Akropong Government Hospital for autopsy. According to eye witnesses accounts at Kenyasi,the explosion occurred when the generator, which had been the source of power supply at the site, caught fire and people took to their heels in the melee. Four out of about the 20 people who sustained injuries are still on admission at the Brong Ahafo,Regional Hospital in Sunyani and the Catholic Hospital in Hwidiem, while the rest were treated and discharged. When the Daily Graphic contacted the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Crime Office, it confirmed the story but the officers told this reporter that they were yet to visit the scene Kenyasi is a mining town in the Asutifi District in the Brong Ahafo Region where the Ahafo Mines of Newmont Gold Ghana Limited are located In recent times however, there has been an upsurge in 'galamsey' operations in the area which have resulted in the death of many miners The galamsey' site has been a no-go area for several officials, including journalsist as one reporter from a local station who had gone there recently to do a story and later was assaulted and thrown out of the area. The area, apart from serving the illegal miners, has also become a haven for criminals and anti-social activities in the district. Source: Daily Graphic