A rescue operation at a mining concession in the Asante Akyem Central Municipality ended with a mix of relief and anxiety on Friday, May 15, after 10 miners were pulled from the rubble of a collapsed underground pit.

The incident occurred on a site belonging to Northern Mines Limited in Konongo, a well-known hub for gold mining in the Ashanti Region. While nine were successfully rescued with minimal injuries, witnesses say one remains in a critical condition at a local medical facility, battling life-threatening injuries sustained during the cave-in.

The collapse reportedly happened when a section of the underground tunnel gave way without warning. Fellow miners and local emergency responders acted swiftly, using manual tools and excavators to reach the trapped men.

The Konongo collapse is not an isolated event but part of a safety crisis within Ghana’s mining sector.

While the large-scale, multinational mines often maintain rigorous safety protocols, the medium-to-small-scale concessions, both legal and illegal, have become death traps for thousands of young Ghanaians.

The geology of the Asante Akyem area is notoriously unstable in sections where illegal mining or poorly regulated small-scale activities have riddled the earth with unsupported tunnels. When heavy rains or structural shifts occur, these pits essentially become sandcastles under immense pressure.

The human cost of Ghana’s gold rush is staggering. with many losing their lives annually.