Edward Boamah, Ghana’s Minister of Defence, and Ibrahim Mohammed, the Minister of Environment, were among eight people confirmed dead in a military helicopter crash in the southern Ashanti Region on Wednesday.
The tragic incident involved a Z-9 helicopter operated by the Ghana Armed Forces. The aircraft, which was en route from the capital city, Accra, to the gold-mining town of Obuasi, lost contact mid-flight before going down. It was carrying five passengers and three crew members at the time.
Confirmation of the crash and the fatalities came in an official statement released by Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff to President John Mahama. He announced that national flags would be flown at half-mast in honour of the victims.
“The President and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country,” the statement read.
Although the cause of the crash remains unknown, investigations are underway. Rescue teams were dispatched to the crash site shortly after the helicopter was declared missing.
