The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has dismissed claims that there were no body bags at the site of the August 6 helicopter crash, which killed eight people, including three service members.
GAF came under heavy criticism after videos surfaced showing the victims’ remains being carried in sacks instead of body bags.
According to the military, body bags were available at the scene but could not be used “due to the condition of the bodies and the circumstances at the time,” prompting the use of sacks instead.
This clarification was made on August 13 when the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) visited the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff to commiserate with the military over the loss of its personnel.
During the meeting, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General William Agyapong explained that the situation did not permit the use of the body bags.
“It was getting late, and the place had been sealed off. We had to embark on the recovery efforts with the available and appropriate materials we had on the ground.
“We had some body bags at the scene, but the remains were so heated [hot] and not conducive for the bags to be used. It was in a thick forest, it was getting late, we had an option of leaving the remains there till the following day, but we knew what would have happened to the bodies.
“The team up there assessing the situation decided to use the available materials they could lay their hands on to ascend the higher ground. At the foot of the hill, they met the medical team,” he explained.
He also noted that the retrieved black box, which will aid in the investigation, is awaiting examination by experts and the manufacturers. He added that the recovery operation following the helicopter crash has been the fastest in the history of helicopter crash recoveries in Ghana.
The crash claimed the lives of eight people, including Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, former parliamentary candidate, Samuel Aboagye, and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Chairman, Samuel Sarpong, and Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator.
The crew members who perished were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
The government declared a three-day national mourning period, which included a flower-laying ceremony from August 7 and a memorial service held on August 9.
A state funeral for the victims will be held on Friday, August 15, 2025, at the Black Star Square in Accra.
Earlier on Wednesday, August 6, the Ghana Armed Forces reported that the Z-9 helicopter, carrying three crew members and five passengers, had gone “off the radar.”
The aircraft departed Accra at 09:12 local time (GMT) and was heading to Obuasi for an anti-illegal mining event. Its disappearance triggered an immediate search-and-rescue operation, which later confirmed that all eight people aboard had died.
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