Ghana has launched a formal investigation into the crash of a military helicopter that claimed the lives of all eight people on board, including key government officials. Among the dead are Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and other senior figures in the ruling party and national security apparatus.
In response to the tragedy, the government has declared three days of national mourning beginning Thursday. During this period, flags will be flown at half-mast across the country.
Those killed in the crash also include Samuel Sarpong, vice-chair of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Muniru Mohammed, a senior national security adviser, and the helicopter’s four crew members.
Muniru Mohammed is expected to be buried on Thursday in accordance with Islamic rites.
The government described the incident as a “national tragedy.” Grieving citizens gathered at Boamah’s residence and at the party headquarters to mourn the loss of the high-ranking officials.
According to state media, the downed aircraft was a Z-9 helicopter typically used for transport and medical evacuation. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
The Ghanaian military said the helicopter departed from the capital, Accra, on Thursday morning, bound for the gold-rich town of Obuasi in the Ashanti region. It lost contact with radar before its wreckage was discovered in the Adansi area of Ashanti.