Several illegal miners are feared dead after an underground gas incident at the Bogoso-Prestea Mine in the Western Region on Tuesday afternoon, November 18, 2025.
The victims reportedly suffocated after noxious smoke, believed to have resulted from an unauthorized blast, filled the underground tunnels with carbon gases at the level 8 and level 9 sections of the mine currently managed by Heath Goldfields.
Authorities are struggling to confirm the exact number of victims due to the secretive manner in which the miners entered the site. Initial reports placed casualties at around 11, while some accounts suggested as many as 30 deaths, with three additional bodies retrieved from level 9 around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, separate from those recovered earlier.
Mine sources believe the deaths were likely caused by asphyxiation from carbon gases, possibly carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, which filled the tunnels after the unauthorized blast carried out by the illegal miners. The tragedy occurred at Level 8 and Level 9 of the mine, some of the deepest and most difficult sections to access.
The incident has been reported to the Prestea Police and the police are handling the case. As of publication, neither mine management nor police have released an official statement regarding the disaster.
The Bogoso-Prestea Mine has been embroiled in management disputes throughout 2024 and 2025. The High Court Commercial Division in Accra dismissed an application by Blue Gold Bogoso Prestea Limited and Future Global Resources (FGR) Bogoso Prestea Limited on March 20, 2025, challenging the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources’ termination of their mining rights and subsequent transfer to Heath Goldfields Limited.
FGR acquired the Bogoso Prestea Mines from Golden Star Resources in October 2020 but ceased operations in December 2023 due to financial constraints, leaving workers unpaid and creditors uncompensated. Following FGR’s failure to meet conditions in a conditional approval granted in April 2024, the Minister revoked the approval on September 3, 2024, and terminated the mining leases.
In June 2025, the Chief Inspector of Mines at the Minerals Commission ordered Heath Goldfields to halt operations citing multiple regulatory breaches, including non-functional facilities and encroachment by illegal miners across large portions of the concession. The company was granted 120 days to rectify violations or face license termination.
Heath Goldfields, a wholly Ghanaian-owned company, took over operations in late 2024 and reported clearing over 100 million cedis in outstanding salaries and provident fund contributions owed to workers. However, over 400 former workers have accused the company of failing to honor obligations despite repeated assurances, with only partial payments made for salary arrears and provident fund contributions while severance pay and bonuses remain unpaid.
Blue Gold has launched international arbitration proceedings against the Government of Ghana with a minimum claim value of one billion dollars, describing the situation as state-enabled expropriation. The company maintains it has the financial and technical capacity to operate the mine and has offered to withdraw its claim if the lease is restored.
The Bogoso and Prestea gold mines are among Ghana’s oldest and largest mining concessions, located within the Ashanti gold belt. The ongoing management disputes have left stakeholders concerned about regulatory transparency and the mine’s operational stability.
