The Ghana Academy of Forensic Sciences (GAFS) says it stands ready to deploy qualified personnel to assist in the scientific identification of victims from Wednesday’s fatal military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
In a statement following the tragedy, which claimed eight lives, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed and six others, the academy stressed the importance of adhering to international standards in disaster scene management and victim recovery.
“This tragic event further underscores the urgent need to strengthen Ghana’s national forensic capacity to effectively respond to such disasters,” the statement read.
“The Ghana Academy of Forensic Sciences is prepared to provide qualified human resources to assist in properly identifying the remains, and to support a scientifically sound Disaster Victim Identification process that meets international best practices.”
The academy noted concerns over how the crash scene was managed, calling for a comprehensive National Forensic Policy to improve crime scene management, ensure dignified handling of human remains, and facilitate accurate mass fatality identification through DNA and other techniques.
The statement further reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to work with the government, security agencies, and the Ghana Health Service to establish the policy framework.
It stated that investing in forensic infrastructure and capacity building was critical to national resilience.
The Air Force helicopter, which departed Accra for Obuasi, went down in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve near Sikaman while the officials were en route to the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme.
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