President John Dramani Mahama has announced a state funeral will be held on Friday, August 15, at Black Star Square in Accra for the eight individuals who perished in a military helicopter crash last in the Ashanti Region.

The ceremony will honor five senior government officials and three military personnel killed when a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter went down on Wednesday, August 6, in the Adansi Akrofuom District. The aircraft was en route to Obuasi on official assignment when it lost radar contact, according to initial investigations.

The victims include Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence; Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Aboagye, a former parliamentary candidate; and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The three military crew members were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

“All eight individuals were national heroes who died in the line of duty,” President Mahama said in a statement, declaring three days of national mourning beginning Thursday, August 7.

As part of a broader week-long commemoration, an inter-denominational memorial service titled “An Evening of Reflections” will be held Saturday, August 9, at the forecourt of the State House. Books of condolence will be available to the public from Sunday, August 10, through Thursday, August 14, at several institutions including the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana Armed Forces Headquarters, NDC headquarters, and the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).

All eight bodies have been recovered. However, President Mahama confirmed that samples of the remains have been sent to South Africa for DNA testing to aid in identification.

The government has pledged to continue investigations into the cause of the crash.