Earl International Group Gold Ghana Limited, a mining company in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, has expressed worry over interferences of illegal miners in its operational areas.
“We are deeply concerned about the high level of risk and recklessness these illegal miners are undertaking and the disruptions they cause to our operations,” the Company said in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement, copied to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, said some illegal miners attacked and injured five security guards of the company who were called to intervene in an attack on staff on duty underground.
“While on night duties at approximately 2100 hours on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Shaft Two Level Three underground, our staff spotted illegal miners numbering over 30 who had invaded the mine area to pilfer blasted ore and mine our stopes,” it said.
“The situation required the intervention of our security guards, who were called upon to flush out the illegal miners and effect some arrests.”
“The illegal miners, apparently armed with harmful weapons, attacked an expatriate and the security guards deployed underground, inflicting varying degrees of injury on five guards.”
Three of the illegal miners were arrested, the statement said, adding that the latest incident reflected the daily challenge the company faced in its operations.
“The unauthorized entry of these individuals into our underground area through illegal pits they construct within our concession is a persistent concern,” it added.
The statement said the illegal miners had become more brazen and descended into the company’s underground area immediately after blasts or hid in crosscuts or stopes before blasts to pilfer ore.
“On the night of Wednesday, June 26, 2024, the diligence of our blast man at the same Shaft two averted a potential disaster when approximately 50 people were found hiding underground, just before a blast was scheduled to occur.”
The company said it would continue to engage stakeholders and regulators to mitigate the “troubling situation.”
