Twins drown in ‘galamsey’ pit at Twifo Praso

On August 30, 2024, 8:14 PM

A heartbreaking illegal mining (galamsey) pit incident that happened on Thursday, August 29, 2024, in Morkwaa, a farming community near Twifo Praso, has claimed the lives of two-and-a-half-year-old twins.

The male and female siblings fell into the pit filled with water.

According to the assembly member for the area, George Sam, the mother, who was unwell, had fallen asleep while they played in the courtyard.

When she woke up, she searched the house but couldn’t find them.

Later, she discovered their lifeless bodies floating in an abandoned galamsey pit near her house.

The police were informed and the bodies were taken to the Twifo-Praso Government Hospital morgue.

This incident marks the eighth fatality caused by uncovered pits in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District this year.

This incident comes after Patrick Mensah, a final year BSc. Agriculture Biotech student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) also drowned in a galamsey pit in an attempt to rescue a drowning man.

Confirming the incident, his uncle stated that Mensah had just completed his final semester exams and arrived home on Monday evening, eager to start the holidays.

Tragically, his life was cut short on Tuesday when he visited a friend at an illegal mining ‘galamsey’ site.

In a heroic attempt to rescue a gentleman who had fallen into the ‘galamsey’ pit, Mensah dived into the pit.

Unfortunately, he did not survive.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, with friends and family mourning the loss of a bright and promising young man.

An investigation into the incident has reportedly commenced.