A woman and her six-month-old baby have tragically lost their lives after drowning in an abandoned illegal mining (galamsey) pit at Bobeam in the Bosome Freho District of the Ashanti Region.
The heartbreaking incident occurred on June 10, 2026, but came to light after residents recounted the tragedy to the media.
According to information gathered, the deceased woman, believed to be a native of northern Ghana, had relocated to Bobeam with her husband, Fuseini, to engage in farming activities.
Sources in the community disclosed that the woman had been left at home with her three children while her husband worked on their farm.
The deceased reportedly went to fetch water with her six-month-old child strapped to her back when she accidentally slipped and fell into an uncovered abandoned galamsey pit.
Her nine-year-old son, who witnessed the incident, immediately rushed to inform his father at the farm.
An eyewitness, Akua Boakyewaa, said the boy desperately ran to seek help, but by the time the father and some residents arrived at the scene, both the woman and her baby had drowned.
The tragic deaths have thrown the entire Bobeam community into a state of shock and mourning.
Residents blamed the incident on the numerous abandoned galamsey pits scattered across the area, describing them as death traps for women, children and farmers.
They have therefore appealed to the government, mining regulators and relevant authorities to take urgent steps to reclaim and cover abandoned mining pits to avert further loss of lives.
The incident once again highlights the growing dangers posed by illegal mining activities and the devastating consequences of uncovered pits left behind by operators.
FROM David Afum, Bobeam