A government spokesman said Ghana’s Defense and Environment Minister, along with six other people, was killed in a military helicopter crash in the central Ashanti region.
Chief of Staff Julius Debrah said at a press conference that Defense Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were killed in the crash, which he described as a “national tragedy.”
The Ghana Armed Forces earlier said the plane carried three crew members and five passengers were “stayed away from the radar”.
It took off from the capital Accra at 09:12 local time and headed to the gold mine town of Obuasi for a national event.
Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the crash.
The Chief of Staff directed the country’s flag to fly half a mast.
He expressed his condolences to President John Dramani Mahama and the government for “the soldiers who died for the country.”
