A military helicopter crash in Ghana has claimed the lives of eight people, including the country's Defence and Environment ministers, in what the government has described as a "national tragedy." The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed that the aircraft, a Z-9 utility helicopter, went off the radar shortly after taking off from Accra on Wednesday morning.
The helicopter was en route to Obuasi, a gold-mining area in the Ashanti region, for an official engagement. The wreckage was later found in the Adansi area of the Ashanti region. All eight people on board perished in the crash.
The victims have been identified as:
Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Defence
Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology
Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
Samuel Sarpong, Vice-Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Samuel Aboagye, a former parliamentary candidate
Peter Baafemi Anala, Squadron Leader (crew)
Manaen Twum Ampadu, Flying Officer (crew)
Ernest Addo, Sergeant (crew)
The cause of the crash is not yet known, and a full investigation has been launched by the military to determine the circumstances of the incident.
President John Mahama has suspended his official activities and ordered all national flags to be flown at half-mast to honor the victims. The crash is one of Ghana's worst aviation disasters in over a decade. Condolences have been pouring in from across the country and from international leaders.
