Twenty-three people, including 11 children, have died after drowning in abandoned illegal mining (galamsey) pits across the Ashanti Region in the first half of 2026, prompting the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to call for urgent support to strengthen rescue operations.
The Ashanti Regional Director of NADMO, Alhaji Nasir Mohammed Ibrahim, said the fatalities were recorded between January and June in 19 districts across the region, underscoring the growing dangers posed by abandoned mining pits.
Providing an update on the region’s disaster situation, he disclosed that NADMO teams recovered 19 bodies during the period, while four victims remain missing.
According to him, illegal mining activities are still ongoing in 23 districts in the Ashanti Region, increasing the risk of drowning incidents, particularly during the rainy season when many abandoned pits become filled with water.
Alhaji Ibrahim therefore called on miners, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and other stakeholders to support efforts to establish and equip emergency rescue teams to respond to such incidents.
“The miners and assemblies must necessarily support NADMO to train and equip divers and rescue swimmers to curtail these fatalities in the second half of 2026 and beyond,” he appealed.
Beyond the drowning incidents, the NADMO Director highlighted the benefits of ongoing desilting and clean-up exercises across the region, noting that they are helping to reduce flooding and improve public health outcomes.
He explained that floodwaters often carry faecal matter, refuse and other contaminants into homes and public spaces, increasing the risk of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and malaria, while also causing emotional and economic hardship for affected families.
According to him, sustained clean-up campaigns and improved drainage systems have reduced these risks by allowing stormwater to flow more freely and promoting cleaner communities.
He added that the exercises have also heightened public awareness about sanitation and proper waste disposal, encouraging residents to avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains.
Alhaji Ibrahim further revealed that NADMO headquarters, together with several non-governmental and faith-based organisations, has been supporting disaster victims in parts of the country through coordinated relief interventions.
He cited The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Qatar Foundation and Stanbic Bank Ghana among institutions currently partnering NADMO to provide relief items to flood victims in Accra.
The Regional Director appealed to corporate bodies, development partners, faith-based organisations and philanthropists to extend similar support to the Ashanti Region to strengthen disaster preparedness, emergency response and recovery efforts.
He stressed that sustained collaboration among government agencies, local authorities, private institutions and community members remains key to reducing disaster risks and protecting lives and property across the region.
