The National Disaster Management Organisation has disclosed that approximately 30 people have lost their lives in mining related incidents across several mining communities in Ghana’s Eastern Region since the beginning of 2026, intensifying concerns about safety standards and oversight within the country’s mining sector.
The revelation was made by Emmanuel Konja Tullah, Deputy Eastern Regional Director of NADMO responsible for Technical and Disaster Risk Reduction, while speaking to journalists at Asaman Tamfoe in the Atiwa East District, where a mining pit collapse has claimed seven lives.
The latest tragedy has brought renewed attention to the persistent dangers associated with poorly secured mining excavations, particularly abandoned and reclaimed pits that can remain hazardous to miners and residents in surrounding communities.
Mr Tullah said the frequency of fatal incidents recorded across mining districts in the region demonstrated the urgent need for stronger enforcement of established safety requirements. He particularly emphasised the responsibility of concession owners and miners to ensure that abandoned excavations are properly secured, covered and rendered inaccessible.
According to the NADMO official, the Eastern Region has recorded no fewer than 30 deaths connected to galamsey activities and other mining related incidents during 2026. He consequently called on concession owners to strengthen supervision over their respective sites and establish appropriate security arrangements to prevent people from entering dangerous areas.
His comments followed the devastating incident at Asaman Tamfoe, where a mining excavation collapsed after miners reportedly entered the site in search of gold. Initial reports indicated that 11 people were trapped beneath the collapsed material, with rescue teams subsequently recovering seven bodies.
The operation brought together personnel from the Anyinam District Police Command, the Ghana National Ambulance Service, NADMO and members of the local community as efforts were undertaken to locate and recover those trapped beneath the earth.
The incident has since generated renewed concern about the dangers posed by mining locations that have previously been excavated, abandoned or reclaimed but subsequently accessed by miners.
Reports indicate that the Asaman Tamfoe tragedy occurred at a previously reclaimed mining location, raising questions about how individuals were able to gain access to the area and undertake further excavation.
Mr Tullah maintained that concession owners must accept greater responsibility for everything occurring within their areas of operation. He said adequate supervision, coordination and security must be maintained to ensure that potentially dangerous locations are not left exposed to miners or members of the public.
He further explained that NADMO intends to intensify collaboration with other government agencies, mining stakeholders and communities as part of a broader effort to improve awareness of mining hazards and encourage compliance with established safety requirements.
The organisation believes that stronger public education will be essential in communities where mining activities remain widespread, particularly because residents may encounter abandoned excavations without fully appreciating the dangers associated with unstable ground and concealed mining shafts.
The Deputy Regional NADMO Director therefore urged concession holders to take immediate steps to strengthen their monitoring systems and ensure that abandoned pits are properly covered or otherwise secured.
He also called for closer coordination between concession owners, regulatory authorities, emergency response institutions and local communities so that potential hazards can be identified and addressed before they result in fatalities.
The latest death toll has once again placed the human consequences of unsafe mining practices at the centre of Ghana’s continuing debate over galamsey.
Although illegal mining has frequently been discussed in relation to environmental degradation, water pollution and the destruction of agricultural land, the repeated collapse of mining pits demonstrates that the activity also presents an immediate threat to human life.
The situation is particularly worrying in mining communities where abandoned excavations can remain scattered across land used by residents for farming, transportation and other daily activities.
NADMO’s latest intervention therefore places considerable emphasis on prevention rather than relying solely on emergency response after disasters occur.
The organisation says it will continue working with relevant institutions and stakeholders to strengthen public awareness, improve compliance with safety regulations and encourage responsible conduct around mining sites throughout the Eastern Region.
For concession owners, the latest warning carries a clear responsibility to maintain effective oversight of their operations and to ensure that dangerous excavations do not remain accessible.
For regulators and other state agencies, the series of fatalities also highlights the need for consistent enforcement of safety requirements and closer monitoring of mining locations.
The seven deaths at Asaman Tamfoe have consequently become the latest and most visible reminder of the dangers confronting mining communities in the Eastern Region, while NADMO’s estimate of about 30 mining related fatalities since January demonstrates that the problem extends considerably beyond a single incident.
With the organisation now promising intensified education and cooperation with relevant agencies, the effectiveness of those measures will ultimately depend on whether mining operators, concession owners and communities comply with safety requirements and whether authorities consistently enforce the regulations designed to protect human life.
