E/R JHS student dies in galamsey pit after being chased by armed security

A 16-year-old Junior High School (JHS) student, Yakubu David, has tragically lost his life after falling into an illegal mining pit commonly known as a galamsey site at Pramkuma, near Akyem Takyiman in the Kwaebibirem Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The unfortunate incident reportedly occurred when Yakubu was pursued by armed security personnel at the site.

According to accounts gathered by Adom News, Yakubu and his friends had ventured to the illegal mining area in search of income.

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James Abanga, one of Yakubu’s companions, revealed to Adom News that the security guards accused Yakubu of stealing gold and gave chase to retrieve it.

During the ensuing confrontation, the guards allegedly assaulted Yakubu and forced him into the pit, resulting in his fatal fall.

In the wake of his death, Yakubu’s father is demanding justice and calling for those responsible to be held legally accountable.

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Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has yet to release an official statement on the matter.

The deadly dangers of galamsey

The tragic death of Yakubu David adds to the growing list of lives claimed by illegal mining operations in Ghana.

Galamsey sites have become death traps, especially for the nation’s youth, who are often driven by poverty and desperation to risk their lives in unsafe conditions.

Illegal mining pits frequently collapse without warning

In January 2024, four miners were buried alive when the walls of an unauthorized gold pit caved in at Obuasi. Similarly, water-filled excavations pose another fatal risk.

In May 2024, two teenage boys drowned in the Western Region while scavenging for gold in a flooded galamsey pit.

Toxic exposure is another silent killer

Illegal miners often use hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, which contaminate water sources and poison both miners and nearby communities.

READ MORE: Galamseyers brutally assault 3 with machetes over alleged theft of gold soil [Video]

In 2023, six residents of Prestea died after consuming water laced with mercury from a polluted stream.

Violence is also endemic in galamsey zones

In June 2024, security personnel allegedly chased three miners into a collapsing pit in Akyem Manso, resulting in yet another avoidable tragedy.

Just last month, 13-year-old Kwame Asare lost his life when an unstable tunnel collapsed on him as he attempted to mine gold to support his family.

These ongoing tragedies underscore the urgent need for decisive and comprehensive action to end illegal mining.

Galamsey not only endangers Ghana’s environment but also continues to claim the lives of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

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