Gold mining puts money in the pockets of thousands in Ghana’s countryside. It also kills. Pit collapses claim the lives of the miners who delve deep into small-scale mines in search of bullion. But in Ghana’s poor, underdeveloped villages, people say there are few other ways to make money.
Lives on the Line in Quest for Gold in Ghana
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A miner uses a shovel to haul dirt at the Atunso Cocoase small-scale mine in Atunso, Ghana, Oct. 16, 2014. (Chris Stein/VOA)
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Mine shafts are pictured at the Atunso Cocoase small-scale mine in Atunsu, Ghana, Oct. 16, 2014. (Chris Stein/VOA)
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A miner sifts through dirt for gold flakes at the Atunso Cocoase small-scale mine, Atunsu, Ghana, Oct. 16, 2014. (Chris Stein/VOA)
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Three people died when this pit collapsed on them, Atunsu, Ghana, Oct. 16, 2014. (Chris Stein/VOA)