Ghana Business News
The ecological damage is huge, but even more costly is the regular loss of lives associated with the risky venture. But some of those engaged in illegal mining believe they have been forgotten by the state — abandoned to fend for themselves.
And then, the entrance of the Chinese who connive with locals has significantly increased the scale of the problem in the last two years. The clampdown on operators by a government task force, has also made the venture even more dangerous than ever.
Meanwhile, statistics about how many Ghanaians have died while engaging in galamsey is scarce but some estimates put the figures at between 200 and 400 in the last four years.