A devastating military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, has reportedly claimed the lives of Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.
The two cabinet ministers were aboard a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter en route from Accra to Obuasi when the aircraft went off radar shortly after takeoff.
According to initial reports, the helicopter was carrying eight occupants—three crew members and five passengers—including a presidential staffer, Samuel Sarpong, and the ministers’ security detail.
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Eyewitnesses said the helicopter crashed into a tree before bursting into flames, reducing the aircraft to charred wreckage.
Footage and images obtained by Puretvonline.com showed the burnt remains of several victims, though the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has yet to officially confirm the full list of casualties.
Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene, who was attending an anti-illegal mining event in the area, reportedly abandoned the program and rushed to the crash site upon hearing the news.
In a brief statement, the GAF confirmed the helicopter had lost contact and that emergency response teams were deployed to locate the wreckage and assess the situation. The cause of the crash remains unknown, but weather conditions in the area at the time have been described as poor.
This tragedy follows a previous military helicopter incident on March 19, 2024, when a Ghana Air Force aircraft crash-landed near Bonsukrom in the Western Region. That earlier incident resulted in no fatalities.
