Mahama announce funeral plans for victims of Ghana military helicopter crash, ask country to 'unite in grief'

BBC News

6 days ago

Di president of Ghana don speak for di first time since di tragic helicopter crash for di country wey claim di life of all di occupants.
Di military aircraft bin dey carry two cabinet ministers, three oda govment officials and three crew members before im crash.
Di defence minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah, environment minister - Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, deputy national security coordinator Dr Muniru Limuna na among di pipo wey die.
Odas na Dr Samuel Sarpong wey be di first vice chairman of di govment party di National Democratic congress (NDC) and Samuel Aboagye wey be di deputy national disaster management organisation director (Nadmo).
Three crew members on top di military helicopter na - Squadron leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
For one televised address Thursday night, di president wey don dey affected by di tragedy tok say "I bin share close bond wit many of di pipo wey don die."
"To di families, make una know say di whole country dey mourn wit you; your pain na our pain."
President Mahama explain say, "dis na ogbonge loss of dedicated public officers, intellectual and individuals wey don sacrifice dia life for di progress of Ghana."
"Dis gallant heroes bin spend dia last moments in service of di country. Dis na shared heartbreak, time to reflect on di preciousness of life," di president add.
Di president tok say investigation dey hapun about dis incident.
"I wan to assure di families and di whole nation say di armed forces dey chook eye into di mata wey we don set investigative commission also."
Pipo bin dey worried ova di way civilians and local farmers don handle tins for di crash-site hours afta di accident.
But di president assure say, "we don find flight data and oda information wey go assist di investigations."
"Make una put politics aside and comfort oursefs; make we all find strength in di memory and legacy of our compatriots wey don die."
Di president announce say di country go organize inter-denominational state funeral for di victims on 15 August 2025 for di independence square.
Before dat time, dem go do anoda event for di forecourt of di state house on Saturday 9 August wey dem call am "night of reflections."
Dem bin open book of condolence for di office of di two cabinet ministers and di service men wey perish di tragedy.
Authorities carry samples of crash bodies to South Africa for forensic analysis
Authorities for Ghana don carry samples of di remains of di eight victims of di crash go South Africa for forensic and DNA analysis.
Dis hapun a day afta di bodies arrive for Accra from di crash site for one community near Obuasi for di Ashanti region.
Interior minister Muntaka Mubarak tok journalists for di airport before di flight wey carry di body samples comot Ghana, say dem expect di results within di shortest possible time.
"We bin thank Ghanaians and pipo all ova di world wey don dey mourn wit us since di tragedy; e neva hapun for di history of di countri."
Muntaka Mubarak explain say, "we don retrieve all di bodies but we get to do further investigations quick quick for dis mata."
"Some of di forensic investigation we for do, get to hapun outside di country, dem take samples go South Africa to speed up di process," im explain.
Im tok say make di families dey patient make govment finish di investigation on top dis mater before dem go bury dia relatives.
Di head of forensic unit for di police hospital dey lead di team to South Africa for di analysis.
Investigation for crash site
Ashanti regional minister Dr Frank Amoakohene don confam say, "we don find di black box wey we also don formally visit di families of two of di victims for Kumasi."
Di black box wey some pipo dey call flight recorder dey critical for accident investigation particularly for di aviation industry.
Dis black box dey provide data of all flight information wit one specific algorithm.
Dis dey make am easy for authorities to see wetin hapun inside di aircraft before e crash.
Three-day mourning dey underway
Di president and oda govment officials begin di three-day mourning wit laying flowers and lighting candles for di ceremonial garden of di presidency.
President John Mahama bin lay some flower to honor di memory of di eight victims - as im try to dey fight back im tears.
Di flower-laying ceremony go continue Friday and Saturday; wia e dey open to members of di public, govment officials and odas.
Flags bin dey fly at half-mast for di seat of govment and across di country in memory of di victims.
Some photos wey capture di mood of di kontri afta di disaster