A military helicopter crash in southern Ghana on Wednesday claimed the lives of eight individuals, including two senior government officials, marking one of the country's deadliest aviation incidents in recent years.
Among the deceased are Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. The officials were aboard a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter when the aircraft went off radar en route to the gold-mining hub of Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
According to preliminary reports, the helicopter departed Wednesday morning before losing contact with air traffic control. The aircraft was carrying a total of eight people—three crew members and five passengers. Also onboard were a presidential staffer, identified as Samuel Sarpong, and members of the ministers’ security detail.
Emergency responders dispatched to the crash site in the Adansi Akrofuom District encountered wreckage and charred remains. Graphic footage and photographs circulated on local media outlets Wednesday afternoon, though authorities have not yet released the full list of victims pending identification and notification of next of kin.
The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed in a brief statement that recovery efforts were ongoing and an investigation into the cause of the crash had been launched. “Contact with the helicopter was lost shortly after takeoff,” the statement said. “Search and rescue teams are on site, and further details will be communicated in due course.”
Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene, who was attending an anti-illegal mining program nearby at the time of the incident, reportedly left the event to oversee emergency efforts at the crash location.
The tragedy comes just over a year after another military helicopter crash in March 2024, when an aircraft crash-landed near Bonsukrom in the Western Region. That incident resulted in no fatalities, but raised concerns about the condition of Ghana’s military aviation fleet.
Officials have yet to provide details on what may have led to Wednesday’s crash. Aviation and defense authorities are expected to open a formal inquiry in the coming days.
