Konongo: Six persons injured as illegal miners clash with military personnel again

About six persons have sustained gunshot wounds after some illegal miners and military personnel clashed at Konongo in the Asante Akyem Central Municipality.

The miners were agitated after a confrontation led to the death of their colleague on Wednesday.

The angry miners proceeded to the premises of the Owere Mines, where another confrontation ensued between them and the security at the Mining Company.

Konongo Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Shaibu Osei, who narrated the incident to otecNews said, the situation has been brought under control to avert further clashes.

“We were told that the small miners have also converged here. We decided to talk to them and assure them that investigations have commenced. We are almost done talking to them and then the military came in and started firing. The guys were also pelting stones at the military officers. As to what triggered the firing I can’t tell, but the military said it was because of the stones being thrown at them. But we have been able to calm down the situation.”

Meanwhile, the injured persons have been rushed to the Konongo-Odumase Hospital.

On Wednesday, one person was confirmed dead after a confrontation between military officers and illegal miners at Petransa.

The officers were deployed to stop the illegal miners from trespassing on a concession belonging to the Owere Mines, a mining company in the area.

In 2017, two illegal miners died after a mining pit collapsed on about 14 miners in that same area.

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com