Today.com.gh readers overwhemingly vote 6th August Helicopter tragedy as ‘most shocking deaths’ of 2025

Readers of Today.com.gh have overwhelmingly identified the 6th August helicopter tragedy as the most shocking deaths in a recent online poll.

Poll results show that the deaths of the eight victims of the military helicopter crash accounted for 87.23% of all responses, dwarfing every other option presented.

The figures reflect how deeply the incident continues to resonate with the Ghanaian public months after it occurred.

Legendary highlife musician Daddy Lumba followed at a distant second with 6.38%, while the late Akwatia Member of Parliament, Ernest Yaw Kumi, recorded 4.26%. Former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings attracted 2.13% of the votes. Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, Sam Pee Yalley, Joshua Ade Coker and highlife singer Dada KD each received 0%.

The dominance of the helicopter tragedy in the poll underscores the scale and national importance of the loss. On 6 August 2025, a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter transporting eight passengers to an event on combating illegal mining crashed into a forested mountainside in the Ashanti region, killing all on board.

Those who died included Minister of Defence Edward Omane Boamah and Minister for Environment Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, both central figures in government efforts against illegal mining. Also killed were acting deputy national security coordinator Limuna Mohammed Muniru, National Democratic Congress vice chairman Samuel Sarpong, and former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye. The crew members were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

While other deaths in the poll were also significant, they failed to draw comparable public reaction. Ernest Yaw Kumi’s passing shocked the political landscape, as he was the incumbent Member of Parliament for Akwatia at the time of his death.

Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings’ death also surprised many, having been seen actively participating in public events in recent years.

Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka is widely known as the founder of the Kristo Asafo Mission, established in the 1960s, while Sam Pee Yalley served Ghana as both an ambassador and a minister. Joshua Ade Coker was a former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, and Dada KD built a loyal following as a highlife musician celebrated for his love songs.

Despite the prominence of these figures, the poll results suggest that the circumstances and collective shock surrounding the 6th August helicopter crash continue to dominate public memory more than any other loss captured in the survey.