The Ghanaian Government has declared a three days of mourning and ordered that flags should be flown at half mast in honour of the Minister for Defence, Minister of Environment and six others who were killed after a military helicopter crashed in Southern Ashanti Region on Wednesday, August 6th, 2025.
Ghanaian Armed forces had earlier said same Wednesday that it had lost contact with a Z 9, helicopter that was en route from the Capital of Accra to Obuasi, a mining town in Southern Ghana.
According to the Chief of Staff to President John Mahama those killed in Z 9 Military Helicopter crash off Ashanti region included: Minister of Defence, Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Others who died in the crash are Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, Ghana’s acting deputy national security coordinator, Samuel Sarpong, the vice chairman of the National Democratic Congress and former Samuel Aboagye, a former Parliamentary candidate.
The helicopter’s crew also killed in the crash were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anata, Flying Officer Malin Thum – Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Julius Deborah in a statement said the crash was a national tragedy and announced that flags will be flown at half mast across the country until further notice. He also extended condolences to the service men who died in service to the Country, on behalf of President John Mahama and the government.
President John Dramani Mahama as a result of the crash cancelled all his official activities for the rest of the week and declared three days of mourning starting from today, Thursday the 7th of August 2025.
In 2020, a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z – 9 helicopter made an emergency landing near Tamale Airport and last year another Ghana Air Force helicopter made an emergency landing at Bonsulkrom in Ghana’s Western Region.
