ACCRA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ghana held a state funeral on Friday at the Black Star Square in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, for the eight victims of the recent helicopter crash.
Citizens from all walks, including members of parliament, ministers of state, civil servants, and bereaved relatives, participated in the state funeral.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said at the funeral that the accident is a disaster that has cast a shadow over the heart of Ghana, bringing a deep, sharp pain that cannot be wished away.
"Ghana has lost leaders whose work touched every corner of our republic, leaders whose service was not measured in days, but in their impact and the lives they touched," the president noted.
Mahama eulogized the deceased, describing them as true patriots who had paid the ultimate price in their line of duty.
The president announced his approval of the posthumous promotion for the three crew members who died alongside the five public servants to their next ranks in the military.
He consoled the families and loved ones of the deceased, assuring them of the country's support for their children in their educational pursuits.
A military helicopter crashed in Ghana's Ashanti Region on Aug. 6, killing all eight occupants, including Defense Minister Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.
