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Rescue teams have recovered the remains of all eight victims of Wednesday’s devastating military helicopter crash in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve at Brofoyedru Sikaman in the Adansi Asokwa Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
The ill-fated Ghana Armed Forces aircraft was transporting a high-profile government delegation to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), a flagship initiative aimed at transforming Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.
Confirming the grim discovery, the Deputy Security Coordinator for the Ashanti Region told journalists, “What you saw a while ago in those sacks are the remains of our senior officers who were involved in the crash this morning.”
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The tragedy claimed the lives of:
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence
Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed – Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation
Alhaji Muniru Mohammed – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
Dr. Samuel Sarpong – Vice Chairman of the NDC and former Kumasi Mayor
Samuel Aboagye – Former Parliamentary Candidate
Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala – Ghana Air Force
Flying Officer Mane-Twum Ampadu – Ghana Air Force
Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah – Ghana Air Force
Earlier in Obuasi, the rCOMSDEP launch took a sombre turn when Lands Minister Armah Kofi Buah was discreetly informed of the crash by Ashanti Regional Minister Frank Amoakohene while seated at the high table. Video footage captured the minister visibly shaken and momentarily overcome by emotion.
The crash, which left the helicopter burnt beyond recognition, has plunged the nation into mourning. Social media has since been flooded with tributes, condolences, and messages of shock, as Ghanaians grapple with the sudden loss of some of the country’s most prominent leaders and dedicated servicemen.
National flags are flying at half-mast as investigations continue into the cause of the fatal crash.
