Rescue teams have retrieved the remains of all eight victims from Wednesday’s military helicopter crash in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve near Brofoyedru, Ashanti Region.
The Ghana Armed Forces aircraft was transporting senior officials to launch a mining reform program in Obuasi when it went down, incinerating the aircraft beyond recognition.
The deceased include Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah; Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Mohammed; and former Kumasi Mayor Dr. Samuel Sarpong, who served as Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). Also killed were former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye and three Air Force personnel: Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Mane-Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
At the Obuasi event, Lands Minister Armah Kofi Buah received the crash news mid-ceremony from Ashanti Regional Minister Frank Amoakohene. Footage shows Buah visibly distraught upon learning of the tragedy during the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP)—a flagship initiative for artisanal mining reform.
National flags fly at half-mast as tributes flood social media. The Deputy Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator confirmed the recovery: “What you saw in those sacks are the remains of our senior officers.” Investigations into the cause continue amid nationwide mourning.
