The youth and residents of Manso Tontokrom in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region have strongly denied reports of a mining pit collapse in their community, describing the claims as false and malicious.
According to the group, no such incident occurred in Manso Tontokrom or in any nearby communities within the district.
Speaking on behalf of the youth, Kwabena Animoyam said the reports were inaccurate and damaging to the image of the community.
The denial follows a 6:00 a.m. report by JoyNews on Monday, March 2, which claimed that a mining pit had collapsed at Manso Tontokrom, leaving about ten miners dead and several others trapped.
However, the incident in question occurred at Atta Ne Atta, a community in the Asutifi South District of the Ahafo Region — not in Manso Tontokrom as initially reported.
Mr. Animoyam described the publication as a calculated attempt to tarnish the reputation of the youth and derail the community’s efforts to secure participation in the government’s flagship cooperative mining programme, which residents believe will create jobs and boost the local economy.
“JoyNews has a reputation for accurate reporting, but sadly, this particular news piece was incorrect. Such false publications undermine the reputation and efforts of those in authority. We do not want to believe today’s false publication is influenced by Asanko Mining Company,” he said.
He stressed that the community’s leadership would not countenance any malicious reportage aimed at frustrating their efforts to obtain a mining licence for artisanal cooperative mining.
For years, residents of Manso Tontokrom have been advocating for a mining licence to enable them to engage in regulated small-scale mining as a means of addressing youth unemployment in the area.
Meanwhile, authorities have revised the death toll from Sunday night’s illegal mining pit collapse at Atta Ne Atta to nine.
According to JoyNews correspondent Erastus Asare Donkor, one body initially counted among the deceased was later found to be unrelated to the cave-in, reducing the confirmed fatalities from ten to nine.
Four injured miners are currently receiving treatment at St. Elizabeth Catholic Hospital, Hwidiem. Hospital authorities say the patients are responding positively.
An undisclosed number of miners are believed to have been at the site at the time of the collapse. Rescue efforts and investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent and cause of the incident.
Atta Ne Atta falls within the Asutifi South Constituency, represented in Parliament by Collins Dauda.
The community has previously drawn national attention following a confrontation involving the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat.
