By Abass Jalloh
Authorities in Kono have confirmed the death of four children after they reportedly drowned in pits of abandoned mining sites in some parts of the villages in the eastern Kono District.
The three girls and one boy were said to be under the age of 15.
According to the Paralegal in Kamara Chiefdom, Tamba Amidu Nyukeh, the incidents occurred on the same day of Sunday 27 February 2022 but at different locations.
He said the incidents of the three girls happened in the village of Ngaya in Nimikor Chiefdom, while the incident involving the boy happened in Bungaloo village, Kamara Chiefdom.
Nyukeh explained that the three kids who drowned at Ngaya, went to the still water created by unknown miners for the usual washing of clothes and fetching of water.
He said one of the kids drowned in the pit due to the slippery nature of the surface and that the second kid tried to rescue the first, followed by the third, but all three of them later became helpless.
Quoting the Paramount Chief, the Paralegal said the boy in Kamara Chiefdom drowned after he had finished washing clothes and decided to go for a swim.
The incidents according to the paralegal are due to the lack of monitoring of the activities of miners whom he said mostly abandoned artificial rivers and wells created out of their activities.
“Sometimes when they work if they do not succeed, they leave the pit open,” he said, adding ghat “even if they succeed, they do not work within the confines of the law in terms of returning the land to normal.”
Politico could not get the bereaved families for their reaction.
According to reports, the remains have been handed over to the families after a postmortem examination to ascertain the cause of death at the Koidu Government Hospital.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (04/03/22)
