Two schoolchildren, aged 12 and 15, died at Kyebi in the Eastern Region on Sunday when they fell into a pit dug and abandoned by illegal miners.
Shell-shocked residents said they found the bodies of the two children, Kingsley Effah Agyeman and his 15-year-old elder brother, Kofi Darkwa, in the deep pit at about 3pm.
Agyeman, a Class Six pupil of the Methodist Primary and Junior High School at Kyebi, and Darkwa, a JHS Two Student of the same school, were said to have gone to their mother�s farm on the other side of the degraded land and were returning home when the tragedy occurred.
According to reports, Agyeman was the first to slip at the edge of the pit and when his brother attempted to rescue him, they both fell into the water-filled pit.
The bodies of the two were later retrieved, after which they were deposited at the Kyebi Government Hospital mortuary. Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the grief-stricken mother of the deceased children, Madam Felicia Twumaa, a 47-year-old farmer, said while she was preparing a meal for her family, some children in the area rushed to her house to inform her about the discovery of the bodies of her two children in the pit.
Commenting on the issue, the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, expressed dismay at the activities of illegal miners whose activities were causing endless suffering to the people of Kyebi.
According to him, the pits were not only claiming the lives of innocent people, particularly children; but also causing serious destruction to the forest cover, the land and the Birim River which served as the main source of water for the people living in Okyeman.
Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |