Soldiers comb Dampia Forest for crashed helicopter wreckage

Officers of the Ghana Armed Forces and aviation experts continue to comb the Dampia Range Forest Reserve to retrieve the wreckage of the Z-9 military helicopter as part of ongoing investigations.

Two cabinet ministers and six others, including the crew onboard the military aircraft en route to Obuasi from Accra, perished in the fatal crash in the Adansi town of Brofoyeduru.

President John Mahama, in a televised address last night, confirmed the recovery of the “Black Box”, a flight recorder which contains cockpit audio recordings to facilitate investigations into the circumstances which led to the fatal crash.

But some local farmers are complaining of starvation because the investigations have denied them access to their farms, as some farmlands are cordoned off to pave the way for the investigations.

“Now we buy food from the street shops. Rice, gari, among others, are what we buy. If they allow us into the farms, we will be able to harvest our foodstuff,” one of the residents said on Friday.

MP for Akrofrom, Joseph Azumah, told JoyNews that one of the residents had handed over a watch he picked from the scene when they responded on the day of the tragic crash.

“We are happy that one of them brought a watch… we have handed it over to the leader of the team who is currently here,” he added.

The legislator further urged the community members to continue to cooperate with the security forces on site.

The fatal crash, which occurred in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region, claimed the lives of:

Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence

Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister for Environment

Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator

Dr Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the NDC

Mr Samuel Aboagye, former Member of Parliament

Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala

Flying Officer Twum Ampadu

Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah

The helicopter on an anti-illegal mining mission from Accra to Obuasi, crashed under still-unclear circumstances.

In response, President Mahama has declared three days of national mourning, appointing Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson as acting Defence Minister, and the Lands and Natural Resources Minister as acting Minister for Environment, Science and Technology.

Read More