The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, has stated that the investigative report on the accident that killed six people at Newmont Ghana’s Ahafo mine site will be ready by the end of the week.
The deceased workers were not employees of Newmont, but of a subcontractor, the construction services company, Consar Limited.
[contextly_sidebar id=”7BkQYAc5tJquIecTWGjeRKjSLEiRXGMP”]They were among a 10-man team working on a reclaim tunnel on the Ahafo Mill Expansion project.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Amewu, said some engineering lapses led to the accident when he visited the scene.
He however added that he would wait for the official report to be completed before making a determination on the cause of the accident and persons to be held responsible potentially.
“You’ll recollect that I gave them two weeks so I’m expecting the report as soon as possible and my understanding is that they are doing quite a good job. What we have done during the period is to broaden the terms of reference and I know the Ministry has written to the main contractor asking for details from the designers and architects that actually put the civil engineering drawings together,” the Lands Minister said.
“I think they’ve been responding to that because the Committee needed some information on that. I’m sure that by this week we should be getting the report and we’ll definitely act on the report.”
Mr. Amewu stated that the mining operations at the site had not been disrupted as the incident did not happen at the site.
He however added that the site of the accident had been cordoned off as investigations proceed.
“The incident happened at the tunnel where the extensions of the mine was going on. As I speak now there’s no activity still going on there. The mining operation, of course, has nothing to do with this so that is ongoing. But where the activity actually took place, it has still been sealed and no activity is going on.”
The collapse, the deaths and the aftermath
The collapse happened at around midday on Saturday, April 7, when 10 workers were working on a reclaim tunnel on the Ahafo Mill Expansion project.
Two of the workers were above pouring some concrete when the roof of the tunnel caved in, also leading to some concrete spilling on some of the eight workers below and trapping them.
An emergency recovery team was dispatched immediately after the accident, and they were able to rescue two of the eight workers who were below when the collapse occurred.
The mine has assured it is cooperating with the regulatory authorities carrying out investigations.
Families want compensation
The families of the deceased workers want the government to ensure that they are adequately compensated.
At the family house of one of the victims at Gyedu near Kenyasi two days after the incident, one of the widows, who summed up their demands, said they are expecting a livelihood package from Newmont Ghana Gold Limited and the government.
“I am appealing to Newmont and to the government to assist me financially to take care of my child,” Patience Ntim said to Citi News.
“Newmont needs to intensify safety at the mines to avert a recurrence of such a tragedy in the future. My late husband was the breadwinner of our family. Now that he is gone, there is no one to take care of my child and me,” the widow added.
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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
