Samples of the remains of the eight people who died in Wednesday’s terrible military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region have been sent to South Africa for DNA analysis to help identify them.
Although the 37 Military Hospital in Accra was initially expected to do the autopsy and identification procedures, the bodies’ condition needed more modern forensic methods, forcing the decision to relocate the remains abroad.
Two cabinet ministers died, including Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Defence, and Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation.
The crash also killed Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, the Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Aboagye, a former parliamentary candidate; and Dr. Samuel Sarpong, the National Vice Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The three Air Force men who operated the ill-fated Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter—Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flight Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah—were also killed during the official flight to Obuasi.
On Thursday evening, August 7, a sad reception ceremony was staged at Accra’s Air Force Base as the remains were flown in from the crash site. The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, led a high-level government team to receive the coffins, which were wrapped in Ghana’s national colours and brought under heavy military escort.
The service featured serious prayers, a moment of quiet, and the sombre presence of senior military leaders, family members, and governmental officials. The atmosphere reflected the depths of national grief at the tragic loss.
In memory of the departed, the government has established three days of national mourning, beginning Thursday, August 7. All national flags are to be flown at half-mast, and official state events have been cancelled.
Meanwhile, there are rising calls for a transparent and independent probe into the cause of the tragedy. The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has urged the government to conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the occurrence and prevent future catastrophes.
