The deceased, Constable Prince Amoah
A Police Constable, identified as Prince Amoah, met his untimely death last Tuesday when the police vehicle he was onboard with other policemen fell into a galamsey pit during an alleged anti-galamsey operation.
The unfortunate incident happened at Enchi-Kwawu in the Aowin Municipality of the Western North Region.
According to reports, a team of police personnel in the area including the deceased were on their usual patrol at Omanpe in the municipality.
On their way back, the team purportedly decided to embark on an operation to apprehend alleged illegal miners or galamseyers operating at Kwawu.
The reports indicated that while returning from the galamsey sites, the team had to drive on a wooden bridge which has been constructed on the pit created by the galamseyers.
Unfortunately, while the police personnel were driving on the wooden bridge, it collapsed and their vehicle fell into the pit, and Constable Prince Amoah allegedly died on the spot.
Four other policemen in the vehicle who got injured were sent to Samreboi Government Hospital for treatment.
The body of the deceased has also been deposited at the same hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Some of the residents asserted that the police regularly visit the area to allegedly extort money from the illegal miners.
“Senior police officers in this area are aware of the situation, but they seem to be doing nothing about it because they also benefit from it,” they alleged.
The residents revealed that it was the second time an Enchi Police District vehicle has fallen into a pit at a galamsey site in the area.
The wooden bridge
The Police vehicle in the galamsey pit
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi