A somber cloud hung over the Adansi Akrofuom District on Wednesday as a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter carrying high-ranking government officials crashed under mysterious circumstances, leaving no survivors.
Among the victims were Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the Minister for Defence, and Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation. Also confirmed dead were Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Aboagye, a former Parliamentary Candidate; and Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the NDC.
The crew members, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, also perished in the tragic incident.
The helicopter had taken off earlier that morning, en route to Obuasi, when it suddenly disappeared from radar. Panic set in as emergency teams scrambled to locate the missing aircraft.
When rescuers arrived at the crash site, they were met with a devastating scene, twisted metal and charred remains, a grim testament to the force of the impact. Graphic images obtained by Apexnewsgh showed the wreckage engulfed in flames, though authorities have yet to release an official statement on the full extent of casualties.
Swift Response, Deep Shock
The Ashanti Regional Minister, *Dr. Frank Amoakohene*, was attending an anti-illegal mining event when news of the crash reached him. He immediately abandoned the program and rushed to the scene, his face etched with disbelief.
In a brief announcement, the *Ghana Armed Forces* confirmed that search teams were working to assess the wreckage and determine the cause of the crash. “We have lost contact with the helicopter shortly after takeoff,” a military spokesperson stated. “Investigations are ongoing.”
The tragedy comes just over a year after another military helicopter crash-landed near Bonsukrom in the Western Region on March 19, 2024. That incident, though severe, had miraculously resulted in no fatalities.
As Ghana reels from this latest disaster, questions linger—what went wrong? Was it mechanical failure, human error, or something else? For now, the nation mourns, united in grief as families, colleagues, and citizens come to terms with an irreplaceable loss.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen
