Six people have been confirmed dead after a mining pit caved in on illegal miners at Kasotie in the Atwima Mponua Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

According to local officials, four others are in critical condition, while two injured victims are receiving treatment at the Mpasaso Hospital.

Assembly Member for the area, Mr. Ayine Samuel, told Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah that the tragedy occurred yesterday after a group of galamsey operators entered an abandoned pit to mine.

He explained that the site owner had intended to reclaim the pit using an excavator.

However, some of the youth in the community objected and insisted on continuing mining activities.

Mr. Samuel said he later received a distress call that the pit had collapsed, burying several miners.

Estimates suggest that between 13 and 16 people were underground at the time of the incident.

Rescue efforts quickly commenced, and eight individuals were retrieved yesterday—four alive and four dead.

The search continued today, leading to the recovery of two more bodies, bringing the death toll to six.

Emergency teams and community members are still working to locate the remaining trapped miners.