At least seven killed at Ghana gold mine

AngloGold Ashanti's main sulphide treatment plant is seen in Obuasi. Source: Reuters/Kwasi Kpodo

Earlier, Ghana's armed forces said that about 60 illegal miners carrying locally manufactured rifles and other weapons breached the mine's security fence on Saturday and fired on a military patrol deployed there, leading to a shootout.

"This is unprecedented (and) it's difficult to understand why this happened," Adams said, noting that in the past, trespassers on the site had been scared off with warning shots.

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27 Sep 2023

Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama ordered an immediate investigation into the incident, the presidency said in a statement on Sunday, calling it "tragic".

Medical expenses

The government has asked AngloGold Ashanti to cover the medical expenses of the injured and the cost of burials, the presidency's statement said.

AngloGold Ashanti could not immediately be reached for comment.

The JSE-listed miner owns the Iduapriem and Obuasi mines in southern Ghana. The two mines produced more than 490,000oz of gold last year.