Nigeria, Aug. 7 -- A military helicopter crash in Ghana on Wednesday has claimed the lives of eight people, including two government ministers and several high-ranking officials.

The crash occurred in a forested area in the Ashanti Region. The helicopter, a Z-9 aircraft operated by the Ghana Armed Forces, lost contact with air traffic control shortly after it departed from Accra at 09:12 GMT. It was travelling to Obuasi, where the officials were expected to attend a government event focused on illegal mining activities.

The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed that all eight people on board died. The aircraft was carrying three crew members and five passengers.

The following individuals were confirmed dead:

The officials were travelling to Ob...