Ghana Ministers Die in Crash Of Chinese-Made Z9 Military Helicopter Near Gold Mining Region

A military helicopter crash in Ghana on Wednesday, August 6, killed all eight people on board, including Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

The Z9 helicopter, operated by the Ghana Air Force, went off radar shortly after departing the capital, Accra, at 9:12 a.m. local time. It was en route to the gold-mining town of Obuasi in the Ashanti region when it lost contact. Wreckage was later discovered in the Adansi Akrofuom district, with graphic footage circulating online showing debris in flames in a forested area.

Authorities said the cause of the crash remains unknown. The military has launched an investigation and grounded all Z9 helicopters nationwide as a precaution.

Boamah, a medical doctor and former communications minister, was leading efforts to counter increasing jihadist threats along Ghana's northern border with Burkina Faso. In May, he led diplomatic talks with military rulers in Ouagadougou over regional security concerns.

Muhammed, who served as Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, was actively engaged in the fight against illegal gold mining, also known as galamsey, which has severely impacted Ghana’s rivers and farmland.

Also among the dead were Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, former NDC parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, and party vice-chair Samuel Sarpong. The three aircrew members—Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah—were all experienced military personnel.

No distress call was reportedly sent before the crash, leaving aviation authorities uncertain about what triggered the disaster. It is Ghana’s deadliest air incident since a cargo plane crash in 2012 killed ten people in Accra.

The ministers had been traveling to participate in a government campaign addressing illegal mining.