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BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Mahama announce funeral plans for victims of Ghana military helicopter crash, ask country to 'unite in grief'
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
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
'Di helicopter crash against tree bifor e catch fire inside forest' - Eyewitness for Ghana plane tok how e happen
Di Ghana armed forces togeda wit oda agencies don dey investigate wetin cause military helicopter crash wey kill eight pipo. Among di dead na two cabinet ministers, three ogbonge govment officials and three airforce crew members. Di Defence minister Dr Edward Boamah, Environment minister - Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Deputy national security cordonato 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 (Nadmo). Three crew members on top di military helicopter - Squadron leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. Eye witnesses for di crash site bin dey explain wetin dem see. One of dem na Agya Yaw wey bin explain to local media network UTV wetin im see. "We see di plane from afar as we bin dey our farm; bifor we hear loud noise," Agya Yaw tok. "Di plane hit some trees for di forest wey e start dey burn; na so we call di assembly man to report wetin happun." Im add say "me and my colleagues waka through di Dampayaw forest wey we see di plane bin dey burn." Anoda eyewitness Nana Kwame tok say "di weather don change at di time di plane bin dey come crash, na so we suddenly hear di loud noise say e crash." Govment action afta di crash President John Mahama bin cancel all im scheduled activities afta di incident. In fact, im miss di programme to launch one govment initiative to deal wit illegal mining for Obuasi wia di crash happun. Sources inside di seat of govment say di president don dey "devastated" since di crash. Di government announce say flags gat to fly at half -mast wey dem declare three days of national mourning. Activities for di three days Govment inside one statement bin dey urge di public to observe di three days "with respect and dignity." Dem transfer di bodies to Accra Afta dem recover di bodies of di eight victims wey don burn from di crash site, di Ghana armed forces don transfer dem to Accra. Dem organize small ceremony for di airforce base wey dem collect di remains of di eight citizens. Dem don carry dem put di morgue for autopsy and oda analysis while govment don plead wit di families say make dem hold on wit burial arrangement until further notice. Wit tears and pain, soldiers, top govment officials wey di chief of staff bin dey lead, don receive di bodies inside eight separate caskets wia dem use Ghana flag drape dem. Dis na di first time wey top govment officials don die inside plane clash like dis for di kontri, for wetin dem describe now as "national tragedy". Govment bin send various teams to visit di homes of di victims to formally announce dia death, as dem begin plans to arrange for proper burial and funeral rights.
UPI
3 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
8 dead, including ministers, in Ghana military helicopter crash
Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Eight people, including Ghana ministers and members of Parliament, were killed Wednesday when the helicopter they were aboard crashed in the West African nation's southern Ashanti region. There were no survivors. The Ghana Armed Forces said its Z-9 helicopter with three crew and five passengers on board departed Accra at 9:12 a.m. local time and crashed in the Sikamana area en route to Obuasi, a gold mining town. "Our hearts are heavy! You served our nation and the colors gallantly," the Ghana Armed Forces said in a statement. "Rest in Peace!" The deceased passengers have been identified as Minister of Defence Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Minister for Food and Agriculture Muniru Mohammed, National Democratic Congress Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong and former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye. The deceased crew were identified as Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu and Sgt. Ernest Addo Mensah. Their identities were made public during a brief press conference from the Office of the President. All flags have been ordered to fly at half-staff until further notice, and three days of mourning have been ordered starting Thursday, according to the Office of the President of Ghana. President John Dramani Mahama has also suspended all his scheduled activities for the rest of the week. The European Union Delegation to the West African nation issued its condolences in a statement online. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement that Nigeria stands "in full solidarity" with Ghana during this time of mourning. "This is a deeply painful moment for our Ghanaian brothers and sisters. These men died in the line of duty serving their nation with honor and courage," he said on X. "May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace, and may their families and the nation find strength and comfort in their sacrifice."
Daily News Egypt
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Two Ghanaian Ministers Among Eight Killed in Helicopter Crash
Ghana is mourning the tragic loss of two senior government ministers and six others after a military helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from the capital, Accra, on Tuesday morning. Among the victims were Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Minister of Environment Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, according to Ghanaian media and official confirmation by Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff at the Presidency. 'The President and government extend their deepest condolences and solidarity to the families of our fallen comrades and the soldiers who died in the line of duty,' Debrah said in an official statement. Also killed in the crash were Mohammed Munir Limuna, former Agriculture Minister and National Security Coordinator, and Samuel Sarpong, Deputy Chair of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) party. According to initial reports, the military helicopter vanished from radar screens just minutes after taking off from Accra en route to Obuasi, a town in the Ashanti Region. The government has launched a full investigation into the cause of the accident. Ghana's Ministry of Defence confirmed that a team of security and civil protection personnel were dispatched to the crash site to retrieve information and assist recovery efforts. President John Mahama immediately suspended all official engagements and ordered the national flag flown at half-mast in honour of the victims. In a brief statement, the Presidency said, 'All necessary measures will be taken to determine the cause of this tragedy and prevent future occurrences.' The helicopter took off at 9:00 a.m. local time, and communication with air traffic control was lost shortly thereafter. Local media published images of the crash site showing the mangled wreckage of the aircraft in a remote area. The country is expected to hold official mourning ceremonies in the coming days as investigations continue.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Ghana Helicopter Crash Kills 8, Including Defense and Environment Ministers
Ghana's ministers of defense and environment died after a military helicopter crashed, killing all eight people on board, a government spokesman and the armed forces said on Wednesday. Among the dead were Edward Omane Boamah, the minister of defense; and Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, the minister of environment, science and technology, Julius Debrah, the government's chief of staff, said in a televised news conference on Wednesday. 'I have the unpleasant duty, suddenly, to announce a national tragedy involving the crash of a military helicopter this morning,' Mr. Debrah said. It was not immediately clear why the helicopter crashed. The deaths were announced hours after Ghana's armed forces said in a post on social media that a helicopter traveling from Accra, the capital, to a mining community in the Ashanti region had gone 'off the radar.' The post said efforts were being made to reestablish contact. The armed forces subsequently confirmed the deaths of all onboard the helicopter in a statement on social media. It extended condolences to the families and said investigations were underway to determine the cause of the crash. Also killed were the acting deputy national security coordinator, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed; the vice chair of the National Democratic Congress political party, Samuel Sarpong; the deputy director general of Ghana's disaster relief agency, Samuel Aboagye; and three members of the military, including the pilot, according to Mr. Debrah. The officials were headed to a gathering on illegal mining at the Obuasi Black Park in the Ashanti region as part of a broader government effort to encourage responsible practices, according to local news reports. The gathering was meant to bring together the president, John Dramani Mahama; other government and local leaders; mining association members; and development partners. Obuasi is about 170 miles northwest of the capital. Mr. Debrah called for all flags to be flown at half-staff until further notice. Saikou Jammeh contributed reporting.
