Ghana Helicopter Crash Claims Lives of Ministers: Tragic Incident Unfolds

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Published Aug 06, 2025 " 1 minute read

In this image taken from video, people work at the site of a military helicopter crash in Sikaman near Adansi, Ashanti region, Ghana, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. Photo by Hafiz Tijani /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ACCRA, Ghana A military helicopter crashed in Ghana on Wednesday, killing all eight people on board, including the West African countrys defence and environment ministers and two other top officials, the government said.

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The crash was one of Ghanas worst air disasters in more than a decade.

The Ghanaian military said the helicopter took off in the morning from the capital, Accra, and was heading northwest into the interior toward the gold-mining area of Obuasi in the Ashanti region when it went off the radar. The wreckage was later found in the Adansi area of Ashanti.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and the military said an investigation was underway.

Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were killed, as well as Samuel Sarpong, vice-chair of the National Democratic Congress ruling party, Muniru Mohammed, a top national security adviser, and the four crew members.

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Mourners gathered at the Boamahs residence as well as at the partys headquarters, and Ghanas government described the crash as a national tragedy.

State media reported that the aircraft was a Z-9 helicopter that is often used for transport and medical evacuation.

An online video of the crash site shows debris on fire in a forest as some people circle around to help.

In May 2014, a service helicopter crashed off Ghanas coast, killing at least three people. In 2012, a cargo plane overran the runway in Accra, the capital, and crashed into a bus full of passengers, killing at least 10 people.