Shaanxi Mining clears air on fatal accident

Management of Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited has expressed shock at recent reports of a mining accident at its Gbane mines in the Upper East Region . It says the reports seek to cause “irreparable damage” to its corporate image. The reports said a cleaner was killed while three other workers were choked last week. But a release on Wednesday clarified that the death of Baan Kolbil on Friday, October 19 was purely accidental “and cannot be said to be as a result of an unsafe condition of our mine”. The release signed by Public Relations Officer Maxwell Wooma said immediately the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga pronounced the deceased dead upon arrival, his family was officially informed. “Pathetic though, the family has peacefully cooperated with management throughout the hospital and Police processes till date. “A date has since been fixed for the burial of late Baan Kolbil.” It said as per regulations guiding the industry, the fatality was reported to the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission, which immediately launched investigations until Tuesday, October 23. “Management is awaiting the outcome of the investigations of both the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission and the police.” It said the other incident of injury is unrelated to the mine. “We state without equivocation that no such incident such as ‘choking’, ‘explosion’ or ‘gassing’ of any person has occurred in our mine.” The release blamed the other occurrences on activities of illegal miners around Shaanxi’s mines in Gbane. “Our company has become the convenient alibi in cases of disasters in their illegal operations. “Media reportage from such incidents must therefore be convincingly clear in matters of these illegal miners and their continuous disastrous operations in the Gbane mining site. “Within the past seven days alone, our company has arrested over fourteen (14) illegal trespassers whose objective is often to steal ore after our underground blasts. “We have made lots of complaints of these illegal intrusions into our underground workings to the regulatory authorities.” By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana Follow @kwame_amoh]]>