Two senior government ministers and six others have died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed the Z-9 helicopter was en route to Obuasi on Wednesday, August 6, when it went off radar. On board were eight individuals, including the Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, and the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Both ministers were confirmed dead at the scene.
Also among the casualties were Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; former Member of Parliament Samuel Aboagye; and Samuel Sarpong, a presidential staffer and Vice Chairman of the NDC.
The aircraft’s crew—Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Mane-Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah—also perished in the crash.
Eyewitnesses say emergency responders arrived at the site shortly after the incident. Graphic visuals from the wreckage, obtained by Daily Post, captured the extent of the destruction and the charred remains of some victims. However, the military has yet to release an official list of the deceased.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, who was attending an anti-galamsey event nearby, left the programme immediately after receiving news of the crash and proceeded to the scene.
In a brief statement, the Ghana Armed Forces confirmed that efforts were underway to recover the wreckage and determine the cause of the crash. “The aircraft lost contact shortly after takeoff,” the statement noted, without providing further details.
This is Ghana’s second military aviation incident in under two years. A similar crash occurred on March 19, 2024, near Bonsukrom in the Western Region, but that incident resulted in no fatalities.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing.
