Ghana's defence minister and environment minister passed away tragically in a military helicopter crash in the central Ashanti region, along with six other people.
Minister of Defence Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were killed in the crash, which Chief of Staff Julius Debrah described as a "national tragedy."
Earlier, the Ghana Armed Forces shared that the Z9 helicopter, which was carrying three crew members and five passengers, had gone "off the radar."
Taken off from the capital, Accra, at 09:12 local time (and GMT), it was heading to the town of Obuasi for an event to tackle illegal mining.
The authorities have not yet determined the cause of crash, as the chief of staff extended condolences to "the servicemen who died in service to the country," on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama and the government.
Ghana's Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Agriculture Minister Alhaji Muniru Mohammed also lost their lives in the devastating crash, along with Samuel Sarpong, Vice-Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress party.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu admitted that the president was feeling "down, down emotionally" about the aircraft crash.
Boamah served under Mahama's previous government as communications minister, and before that he was minister of environment. As defence minister, he tackled jihadist activity that was brewing in the northern border in Burkina Faso.
His book A Peaceful Man In An African Democracy – about former president John Mills – was due to come out later in the year.
Meanwhile, Muhammed was at the forefront of the battle against illegal gold mining, which has wrecked the environment and contaminated rivers and lakes.
Ghana saw an increase in protests against the practice, known locally as galamsey, during Mahama's run for the presidency last year.
