Ghana President Gives Order as Helicopter Crash Kills Ministers of Defence and Environment
- The Government of Ghana has directed that all national flags be flown at half-mast in honour of key government officials who died in a tragic military helicopter crash
- The fatal incident occurred on Wednesday, August 6, in Adansi Akrofuom district of the Ashanti region while two ministers, along with six others, were en route to Obuasi for official duties
- Announcing the directive, chief of staff Julius Debrah, expressed the government’s deep sorrow regarding the loss of the two senior public officials and others onboard the helicopter
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering global news.
Southern Ashanti region, Ghana - President John Mahama of Ghana on Wednesday, August 6, ordered all national flags to be lowered, in honour of victims of the tragic military helicopter crash.
Legit.ng had reported how Ghana's ministers of defence and environment died in a military helicopter crash in the central Ashanti region, along with six other people.
Source: Twitter
Flags to fly at half mast in Ghana
Environment, science and technology minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed and Defence minister Edward Omane Boamah were killed in the crash, which chief of staff (CoS) Julius Debrah described as a "national tragedy".
Earlier, the Ghana Armed Forces said the aircraft, which was carrying three crew and five passengers, had gone "off the radar".
It had taken off from the capital, Accra, at 09:12 local time (and GMT) and was heading to the town of Obuasi for an event to tackle illegal mining.
Images showing the charred remains of the helicopter are circulating on social media.
As reported by Ghana's TV3, President Mahama ordered that the national flag be flown at half-mast to mourn the passing of the prominent individuals.
GhanaWeb also noted the presidential directive regarding the national flags.
Wednesday’s crash was one of Ghana’s worst air disasters in more than a decade. In May 2014, a service helicopter crashed off the coast, killing at least three people. In 2021, a cargo plane overran the runway in Accra and crashed into a bus full of passengers, killing at least 10 people.
Are aircraft crashing more often?
Legit.ng reports that over the past two decades there has been a general downward trend in air accidents.
Data from International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a UN body which monitors global air incidents, shows that the number of worldwide accidents per million plane departures has also seen a clear downward trend between 2005 and 2023.
The ICAO definition of an aircraft accident is very broad and not only includes those in which passengers or crew are seriously injured or die, but also incidents where an aircraft is damaged and needs repairs, or goes missing.
Data on the number of deaths in air accidents globally also shows that there has been a decrease over the same period, albeit with spikes in some years reflecting major air disasters.
Despite the recent spate of incidents, air travel remains by far the safest form of travel.
Read more Ghana news:
- Anthony Joshua lands in Ghana, sends crowd wild with surprise motorbike stunt
- Ghana orders MultiChoice to cut DStv prices by 30% or face suspension over 'unfair billing'
Tinubu receives Ghana president
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Bola Tinubu received Ghana's Mahama at his official residence in the State House, Abuja, Nigeria.
Mahama’s visit to the presidential villa is his first official coming since his inauguration on January 7, 2025.
The Ghanaian leader said he was in Nigeria to keep Tinubu updated on diplomatic efforts with the military junta leaders of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, aimed at addressing regional security and stability.
Source: Legit.ng
