The incident, which happened on degraded land left behind by years of unsafe mining practices, has sparked fresh concern about the dangers facing communities in areas where illegal mining is widespread.
Eyewitnesses said the women had gone to the open pit to search for scraps of ore, hoping to earn a little money from reselling.
The illegal miner, who is believed to have been operating in the same area, approached them aggressively and demanded that they leave.
According to residents, he claimed ownership of the pit, insisting that outsiders had no right to collect stones or materials from what he considered his “working site.”
The confrontation quickly drew the attention of locals, many of whom expressed worry about the increasing conflicts around abandoned mining pits.
“This land was once farmland,” one resident lamented.
“Now it is filled with dangerous holes. People are struggling to survive, so they come here to pick anything they can find. But it often leads to fights with the illegal miners.”
Community leaders say such clashes are becoming common, particularly between young women who scavenge for survival and illegal miners who see the degraded pits as part of their territory.
The situation is made worse by the lack of regulation and the absence of proper reclamation after years of destructive mining.
Environmental activists have also warned that the pits pose serious health and safety risks.
Many of them are filled with stagnant water, sharp stones, and loose soil, creating the risk of drowning or landslides. They argue that authorities must step up enforcement against illegal mining and also invest in restoring the degraded lands.