Samples from the remains of the eight individuals who tragically died in Wednesday’s military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region have been flown to South Africa for advanced DNA analysis.
The decision to outsource the forensic work comes after the 37 Military Hospital in Accra determined that the condition of the bodies required more sophisticated identification techniques than are currently available locally.
The crash claimed the lives of prominent public figures, including Ghana’s Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.
Also among the deceased were:
- Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
- Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate
- Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the opposition NDC
- Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala
- Flight Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu
- Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah
The three Air Force officers were crew members of the Ghana Armed Forces’ Z-9 helicopter, which went off radar while en route to Obuasi on official assignment.
A solemn reception ceremony was held Thursday evening, August 7, at the Air Force Base in Accra as the remains were transported from the crash site. The coffins, wrapped in Ghana’s national colours, were received under heavy military escort by a delegation led by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah. The ceremony featured prayers, a moment of silence, and expressions of grief from military and government officials as well as the victims’ families.
The government has declared three days of national mourning, from August 7 to 9, during which all national flags are to fly at half-mast. All state events have been suspended to honour the memory of the fallen.
Meanwhile, calls for an independent and transparent investigation into the crash continue to mount. The Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) has urged authorities to launch a thorough inquiry to determine the exact cause of the incident and to put safeguards in place to prevent future occurrences.
