Six miners have been killed and two others injured after the roof a tunnel collapsed at a gold mining site operated by U.S.-based Newmont in Ghana’s southern region.
“I can confirm six fatalities to you,” company spokesperson Agbeko Azumah said in a statement.
“Two others were treated at the clinic and discharged after the tragedy on Saturday.”
The accident took place in the Brong Ahafo region, around 430 kilometres from the capital Accra.
“The entire Newmont family is devastated by this tragic accident and our priority is to provide support to the families, friends and co-workers of the deceased,” Alwyn Pretorius, the company’s vice president in Africa, said in a statement.
Workers on the site have been evacuated and all mining operations in the vicinity have been suspended to allow for an investigation.
“All other employees working in the area have been safely relocated and the scene of the accident has been secured,” Pretorius said.
“The police are on site and the appropriate government and regulatory agencies have been notified, including the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission.”
Newmont is one of the world’s largest gold producers, and runs two mines in Ghana – where it has been since 2006.
The accident is the latest to feature in the mineral-rich country. In July last year, at least 22 people were killed after an illegal goldmine collapsed in western Ghana.
Investigations are set to return a cause of Saturday’s accident.
