Military helicopter crash kills four top Ghanaian officials
The crash was one of the worst Ghanaian air disasters in more than a decade. The country's military said the helicopter took off from the capital, Accra, and was heading northwest towards the gold-mining area of Obuasi.
Shortly after entering the area in the Ashtani region, the aircraft went off the radar and the wreckage of the aircraft was later located. The military says the cause of the crash is not yet known and a probe has been launched to investigate the incident.
Vice-chair of the National Democratic Congress Samuel Sarpong along with a top national security advisor, Muniru Mohammed were also killed in the crash along with four other crew members.
Ghana's government described the crash as a 'national tragedy'. Mourners gathered at the late defence chief's residence, as well as the ruling party's – the National Democratic Congress – headquarters in Accra to pay their respects.
State media reported that the ministers were on board a Z-9 helicopter, often used for transport and medical evacuations, and is generally considered safe.
A video circulating online showed debris of the helicopter on fire, which appears to have crashed in a remote forest area, with people gathered around to help and look for survivors.
Ghana ranks among the highest in Africa in aviation safety. The country's last air disaster happened in 2014 after three people were killed in a helicopter crash off Ghana's coast.
In 2012, a cargo plane overran the runway in Accra and crashed into a bus full of passengers, killing at least 10 people.
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Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
Military helicopter crash kills four top Ghanaian officials
A military helicopter crashed in Ghana late on Wednesday, killing all passengers on board, including the country's Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed and two other top officials. The crash was one of the worst Ghanaian air disasters in more than a decade. The country's military said the helicopter took off from the capital, Accra, and was heading northwest towards the gold-mining area of Obuasi. Shortly after entering the area in the Ashtani region, the aircraft went off the radar and the wreckage of the aircraft was later located. The military says the cause of the crash is not yet known and a probe has been launched to investigate the incident. Vice-chair of the National Democratic Congress Samuel Sarpong along with a top national security advisor, Muniru Mohammed were also killed in the crash along with four other crew members. Ghana's government described the crash as a 'national tragedy'. Mourners gathered at the late defence chief's residence, as well as the ruling party's – the National Democratic Congress – headquarters in Accra to pay their respects. State media reported that the ministers were on board a Z-9 helicopter, often used for transport and medical evacuations, and is generally considered safe. A video circulating online showed debris of the helicopter on fire, which appears to have crashed in a remote forest area, with people gathered around to help and look for survivors. Ghana ranks among the highest in Africa in aviation safety. The country's last air disaster happened in 2014 after three people were killed in a helicopter crash off Ghana's coast. In 2012, a cargo plane overran the runway in Accra and crashed into a bus full of passengers, killing at least 10 people.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
Ghana: Helicopter crash kills 8, including ministers of defense and environment
Ghana's defense and environment ministers were killed in a military helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, the presidency said, after the air force chopper carrying three crew and five passengers came down in a forest in the south. Television station Joy News broadcast cell phone footage from the crash scene showing smouldering wreckage in a heavily forested area earlier in the day, before it was revealed that ministers Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were among the dead. Boamah became President John Mahama's defense minister shortly after Mahama's swearing-in in January. Muhammed, 50, was serving as the minister of environment, science and technology. He had been scheduled to attend the UN talks currently underway in Geneva aimed at hammering out a landmark global treaty on combating the scourge of plastic pollution. Ghanaian media reported that the helicopter was on its way to an event on illegal mining – a major environmental issue in the West African country. Everyone on board was killed in the accident in the southern Ashanti region, authorities said. "The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country," said Mahama's chief of staff Julius Debrah. The Ghanaian Armed Forces said investigations had been launched to determine the cause of the crash of the Z9 helicopter. The military had reported earlier Wednesday that an air force helicopter had dropped off the radar after taking off from Accra just after 9 am local time (0900 GMT). It had been headed towards the town of Obuasi, northwest of the capital. Ministers' challenges Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Ghana's deputy national security coordinator and former agriculture minister, was also among the dead, along with Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of Mahama's National Democratic Congress party. Boamah was leading Ghana's defense ministry at a time when jihadist activity across its northern border in Burkina Faso has become increasingly volatile. While Ghana has so far avoided a jihadist spillover from the Sahel – unlike neighbours Togo and Benin – observers have warned of increased arms trafficking and of militants from Burkina Faso crossing the porous border to use Ghana as a rear base. A medical doctor by training, Boamah's career in government included stints as communications minister during Mahama's previous 2012-2017 tenure. Before that, he was the deputy minister for the environment. Muhammed, the environment minister, was at the helm as the country battles illegal, informal gold mining that has ravaged farmlands and contaminated water. "Galamsey", as the practice is locally known, has been threatening cocoa production in particular and became a major issue in the election that saw Mahama elected last year. The establishment earlier this year of the Ghana Gold Board and the banning of foreigners from the local gold trade were seen as the first concrete signs of a crackdown on the practice by the new administration. Muhammed was a "committed environmentalist" and "deeply respected" by peers in Africa and globally, said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen in Geneva, in a statement. Only a few weeks ago, the minister was elected to be a member of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Nairobi, said Andersen. Condolence messages also came from the ECOWAS and Africa Union chiefs. Boamah led a delegation to Ouagadougou in May as Ghana pursued increased diplomacy with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – all ruled by juntas who have broken with the West African regional bloc ECOWAS. He had been set to release a book titled "A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy", about former president John Atta Mills, who died in 2012. President Mahama suspended all his scheduled activities for the rest of the week and declared three days of mourning starting Thursday, with all flags to be flown at half-mast, his office said.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Ghana's defence, environment ministers among 8 killed in helicopter crash
Ghana 's defence and environment ministers were killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday, the Ghanaian presidency said, hours after the armed forces reported a chopper carrying three crew and five passengers dropped off the radar. Edward Omane Boamah became President John Mahama's defence minister earlier this year shortly after Mahama's swearing-in in January. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed was serving as the minister of environment, science and technology. Everyone onboard was killed in the accident, authorities said. "The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country," said Mahama's chief of staff Julius Debrah. Boamah was helming Ghana's defence ministry at a time when jihadist activity across its northern border in Burkina Faso has become increasingly restive. While Ghana has so far avoided a jihadist spillover from the Sahel – unlike neighbours Togo and Benin – observers have warned of increased arms trafficking and of militants from Burkina Faso crossing the porous border to use Ghana as a rear base. A medical doctor by training, Boamah's career in government included stints as communications minister during Mahama's previous 2012-2017 tenure. Before that, he was the deputy minister for environment. The Ghanaian Armed Forces had reported earlier Wednesday that an air force helicopter had fallen off radar after taking off from Accra just after 9:00am. It had been headed towards the town of Obuasi, northwest of the capital. The statement had said that three crew and five passengers were aboard, without specifying at the time that the ministers were among them. Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Ghana's deputy national security coordinator and former agriculture minister, was among the dead, along with Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of Mahama's National Democratic Congress party. As Ghana has pursued increased diplomacy with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – all ruled by juntas who have broken with the ECOWAS west African regional bloc – Boamah led a delegation to Ouagadougou in May. He had been set to release a book titled "A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy", about former president John Atta Mills, who died in 2012. All flags were to be flown at half-staff, Debrah said, while the presidency said Mahama had cancelled his official activities for the day.
