Mother and three children drown in abandoned galamsey pit at Wassa Dunkwa

A 42-year-old woman and her three children have tragically drowned in a water-filled abandoned illegal mining pit at Wassa Dunkwa in the Amenfi West Municipality.

The incident occurred on Saturday, February 28, while the family was gathering firewood near the disused galamsey site, which had become dangerously waterlogged, according to a local source.

The three boys—led by their 14-year-old elder brother—had gone ahead of their mother after collecting firewood. On their way back, they stopped at the pit and entered the water.

When their mother arrived at the scene and saw her children in distress, she rushed into the water in an attempt to rescue them but also got into difficulty.

All four drowned before help could arrive.

The bodies of the mother and her three sons were later recovered by the Asankragwa Divisional Police and transported to the morgue at the Catholic Hospital.

ASP Beatrice Turkson, Public Relations Officer of the Western Central Police Command, confirmed the incident and stated that investigations are ongoing. She added that a detailed statement would be issued in due course.

The tragedy adds to a growing list of fatalities linked to abandoned galamsey pits across the region, which have become death traps for unsuspecting community members.

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