A 23-year-old man narrowly escaped death after the concrete floor of a shop collapsed beneath him at the 18th Lane area of Tarkwa in the Western Region.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when the victim, identified as Abeiku, stepped outside the shop where he sleeps to brush his teeth. According to him, he suddenly noticed the ground giving way and began sinking into the earth.
Abeiku managed to save himself by tightly holding onto a nearby metal object until residents rushed to rescue him.
The collapse created a deep hole between two adjoining structures — a small-scale mining kitchen used for gold processing and a dressmaking shop — raising fresh concerns over ground stability in parts of the mining town.
Residents suspect the incident may be linked to illegal and unregulated small-scale mining activities believed to have weakened underground support structures in the area.
The latest collapse comes months after a similar incident near the Tarkwa market at “Mbesiafo Gua Mu” in September 2025, where a large sinkhole caused panic among traders and residents.
At the time, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) attributed the incident to underground mining activities that had weakened the land surface.
Residents say Tuesday’s near-tragedy has renewed fears over the safety of buildings situated in areas suspected to be affected by underground mining.
As of Tuesday evening, the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly had not issued an official statement on the latest incident.