The Minerals Commission has completed investigations into the mining blast that killed 16 people at Gbane in the Talensi DIstrict of the Upper East Region.
The Commission’s findings indicate that, Shaanxi Mining Ghana, a company permitted to provide underground mining services violated safe working procedure for blasting.
Shaanxi Mining and two Small Scale Mining Companies, Yenyeya and Pubortaabi, with the licence to operate underground, had no blasting time notices posted at Gbane Mines.
Presenting the report to the media, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asumah-Cheremeh, said the miners entered concessions of mining companies through pits owned by two people.
The Minister ruled out any compensation for families of the victims because they were involved in an illegality.
He stated that the two people operating the illegal pits that were used by the miners will face the full rigorous of the law.
Shaanxi Mining Ghana should be fined $10,000 (ten thousand dollars), for appointing a supervisor who could not communicate to his patrol team in a language they could understand.
Among other sanctions, the company is to be fined additional $10,000 (ten thousand dollars) for failing to have a blasting time schedule. The 16 victims died of smoke inhalation on the 22nd of January, this year.
