A military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of Ghana’s Ashanti Region has reportedly claimed the lives of two high-ranking government officials. Reports from Wednesday, August 6, indicate that Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, and the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, were aboard the Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter when it went off radar en route to Obuasi.
The aircraft was carrying eight individuals in total: three crew members and five passengers. The passenger list reportedly included the two ministers, a presidential staffer identified as Samuel Sarpong, and members of their security detail. Emergency response teams rushed to the crash site, and graphic footage from the scene showed the charred remains of several victims. However, officials have yet to release a full list of the deceased or injured.
The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed that efforts were underway to trace and assess the wreckage of the helicopter after it lost contact shortly after takeoff on Wednesday morning. The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, reportedly abandoned an anti-illegal mining event to rush to the crash scene upon hearing the news. The cause of the crash remains unknown, and authorities have not yet confirmed further details. This incident occurs more than a year after a military helicopter crash-landed in the Western Region on March 19, 2024, an event that resulted in no fatalities. Updates are expected as investigations continue and families are notified.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
