Forensic medical scientist and security intelligence researcher, Lawrence Kofi Acheampong, has explained that the use of cocoa sacks in transporting victims of the August 6 helicopter crash was consistent with accepted disaster response practices under certain circumstances.
His comments come after the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) faced public criticism when videos emerged showing charred remains of victims being carried in sacks instead of body bags. The crash claimed eight lives, including three service members.
The GAF, in a statement on August 13, rejected claims that body bags were unavailable at the scene. According to the military, the remains were severely charred, making the use of standard body bags impractical at the time. They explained that sacks were used to secure the remains in line with the conditions they encountered.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, August 16, Mr. Acheampong stressed that disaster recovery operations must always be adapted to specific contexts.
“When it is issued for the investigation to be done, the way the human remains are collected is very important, and every disaster has different contexts, and we approach it differently,” he said.
He noted that while international guidelines allow room for improvisation, cultural and religious sensitivities must also be taken into account.
According to him, the decision to use sacks may have been part of what is termed a “wet transfer,” a procedure designed to transport human remains over long distances without further compromising their condition.
“I am sure that those who got there first wanted to achieve the wet transfer… That is a right principle,” Mr. Acheampong explained, adding that measures must also be in place to prevent decomposition during such transfers.
Mr. Acheampong’s remarks add a technical perspective to the ongoing debate over how the victims of the crash were handled, highlighting the balance between international best practices, operational challenges, and cultural considerations in disaster management.
Helicopter crash: Bodies were too hot for body bags – GAF