Ghana declares three-day period of national mourning following deadly crash

Ghana has opened investigations into the crash of a military helicopter that killed all eight people aboard, including the West African country's defense and environment ministers and other top officials.

The country has also declared three days of national mourning from Thursday, and all flags are to fly at half mast during the period.

Defense Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were killed, as well as Samuel Sarpong, vice-chair of the National Democratic Congress ruling party, Muniru Mohammed, a top national security adviser, and the four crew members.

Muniru Mohammed is expected to be buried on Thursday in Muslim tradition.

Mourners gathered at the Boamah's residence as well as at the party's headquarters, and Ghana's government described the crash as a "national tragedy.”

State media reported that the aircraft was a Z-9 helicopter that is often used for transport and medical evacuation.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

The Ghanaian military said the helicopter took off in the morning from the capital, Accra, and was heading northwest into the interior toward the gold-mining area of Obuasi in the Ashanti region when it went off the radar. The wreckage was later found in the Adansi area of Ashanti.