The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has provided reasons why it did not use body bags to carry the remains at the site of the August 6 helicopter crash, which killed eight people, including three service members.
It noted that 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.”
The Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General William Agyapong, stated that the situation did not permit the use of the body bags.
He made this disclosure on August 13, 2025, 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.
“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 said.
He further revealed that the retrieved black box, which will aid in the investigation, is awaiting examination by experts and the manufacturers.
The tragic helicopter crash led to the death of eight people, including Defense Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah; Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; former parliamentary candidate, Samuel Aboagye; 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.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
