President John Mahama has announced a comprehensive investigation into the tragic military helicopter crash that killed eight people, including two senior cabinet ministers, sending shockwaves across the nation.
Among the victims were Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, who were traveling with other high-ranking officials and air force crew when the chopper disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Accra, en route to Obuasi, on Wednesday.
In a national address on Thursday, President Mahama confirmed that all eight bodies have been recovered, describing the loss as “a moment of shared heartbreak” for the country.
“We’ve lost some of our nation’s brightest minds,” Mahama said solemnly. “The Ghana Armed Forces has initiated a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances of this crash.”
He also revealed that both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered and a special board of enquiry has been established to determine the exact cause of the crash.
The president declared three days of national mourning beginning Thursday, with all flags ordered to be flown at half-mast. A state funeral for the victims is scheduled to take place on August 15.
As the country grapples with the devastating loss, all of President Mahama’s public engagements have been suspended for the rest of the week, in honor of the fallen officials.
