Ghana’s Minister of Defence, Edward Boamah, and Minister of Environment, Ibrahim Mohammed, were among eight people confirmed dead after a military helicopter crashed in the country’s southern Ashanti Region.
The crash involved a Z-9 helicopter belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces, which lost contact during a flight from the capital, Accra, to Obuasi, a gold-mining town in the south of the country.
As gathered, the aircraft was carrying five passengers and three crew members when it went down.
Confirming the officials’ deaths on Wednesday, the country’s Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, stated that the cause of the accident remains unknown.
He confirmed that among the casualties were the Deputy National Security Coordinator, Muniru Mohammed, and the Vice Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.
The crew members who died in the crash include Squadron Leader Peter Anala, Flying Officer Manin Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Mensah.
“The President and the government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country,” Debrah stated.
While the exact cause of the crash remains undetermined, the government has confirmed that investigations are currently underway.
