The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has confirmed that the recent accident involving officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and some journalists in the Ashanti Region was triggered by an attack from illegal miners near Obuasi.

According to the ministry, the violent confrontation occurred when the joint EPA team, accompanied by journalists, came under attack from galamsey operators during an inspection exercise at Dadwene, a community near Obuasi.

Addressing the media on Friday during a review of the week’s anti-galamsey operations, the Director of Communications at the Ministry, Ama Mawuse, explained that the team had gone to identify and shut down unlicensed mining operations when they were ambushed.

“They were conducting operations around the country, going round to ascertain who was operating these machines and manufacturing floating devices without a permit, and to close down shops. It was on one of these occasions that illegal miners spotted them and decided to attack them,” she said.

She recounted that the miners pelted stones at the team, forcing the EPA officials and journalists to flee the scene.

“They were pelting stones at them and things like that. They had to flee for their lives, and in doing so, they had to take another route out of the place. It was in the course of that they got involved in an accident,” Mawuse narrated.

The incident, which occurred on Thursday, November 6, left several people injured, including five journalists, among them a Channel One TV reporter who was critically hurt.

Mawuse noted that two journalists were initially in critical condition but had since stabilised after receiving medical attention.

“Two journalists were in critical condition, but the report I have received this morning indicates that they are quite stable. One had surgery yesterday. Several others sustained injuries. This incident is unfortunate,” she said.

She added that the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Armah-Kofi Buah, had expressed his disappointment over the development but assured that the government remains resolute in the fight against illegal mining.

“Hon. Armah-Kofi Buah wishes to convey his utmost disappointment at this turn of events, and he remains resolute in his resolve to deal with the matter at hand,” she stressed.

Meanwhile, the ministry revealed that the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) task force arrested a Chinese national earlier on Friday in the Eastern Region for engaging in illegal mining.

The suspect has been handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service for further investigation and action.