Two stores at the Tarkwa women's market in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region last Monday caved in, following a blast at an abandoned mine shaft belt.

The incident, which occurred on Monday night, has been linked to activities of illegal miners operating along the stretch of the old shaft which runs across the municipality.

Traders and residents have expressed concern that the continuous operations of illegal miners along the Tarkwa belt pose a threat to lives, critical overhead power installations, and national security.

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A journalist, Ms Esi Brew, recalled that "this is not the first time such a cave-in has happened in Tarkwa and its environs," noting that similar but smaller cases were often unreported or quickly covered up. She added that last year portions of the Nana Angu road, commissioned in 2019, caved in and disrupted traffic.

An opinion leader, Mr Fifi Boafo, described the situation at the women's market as troubling, and urged swift measures to halt illegal mining operations that weaken the earth's structure.

He expressed concern that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) only directed the miners to fill the affected area without a full safety assessment.

The Acting Western Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Ms Sophia Ama Otabil, confirmed that the cave-in had environmental implications for the municipality.

She explained that a preliminary EPA assessment showed that the damages were caused by unlicensed miners who exceeded blasting threshold, mostly at night.

The Municipal NADMO Operations Officer, Mr Ronald Regan Ofosu, stated that the incident could have been fatal had traders been present, adding that tunnels from the old underground mine shaft had been taken over by locals who mined recklessly, weakening natural rock pillars.

Residents have, therefore, called for urgent action to prevent future disasters in the municipality.