Earl Gold International has announced a temporary suspension of operations at its site due to severe flooding affecting its underground facilities. The flooding, caused by heavy rains and illegal mining pits connected to the company’s underground system, has reportedly resulted in over 80,000 cubic meters of water accumulating underground.
In an interview with A1 Radio, Albert Azongo, the Assistant Public Relations Officer for Earl Gold International, explained that the recent downpour on August 19 led to the overflow of the Oun River, which submerged several illegal mining pits. “As we mentioned in our official statement, which has been widely published, we need to partially suspend operations due to the severe flooding we are dealing with underground. We have several illegal mining pits around the Oun River,” he said.
“On the 19th of this month, there was a heavy downpour, and the river overflowed its banks. This submerged some of the illegal pits, and the water found its way into our underground space.” He added, “The volume of water underground is over 80,000 cubic meters as we speak.”
Azongo stated that the flooding caused water to breach the company’s underground work areas, affecting levels 6 and 7. “Most of these pits are illegally connected to our underground system, so when the pits get flooded, the water inevitably finds its way into our underground operations.”
He noted that the company has instructed its workers to take a break while operations are halted. It is important to emphasize that no employees have been dismissed; they are on temporary suspension due to the infeasibility of working under the current conditions.
According to Azongo, the company estimates it will take approximately eight weeks to pump out the water with the current resources. To expedite the process, Earl Gold International has sought assistance from sister companies, such as Cardinal Namdini, for additional machinery and human resources.
However, a complete assessment of damages and losses cannot be determined until the water levels subside and the machinery is recovered.
Azongo called on stakeholders for support during this challenging period and emphasized the need to address illegal mining activities, which contribute to such flooding issues, as a long-term solution to prevent future occurrences. “We appeal to our stakeholders to support us in this situation. The surest way to prevent this in the future is to ensure that all illegal mining pits are completely sealed,” he said.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
