Two people have died after a helicopter crashed into a preschool on Monday afternoon, but no pupils or staff at the education facility were injured.

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) said the incident occurred around 14:59 pm when a helicopter with registration number G9-ADV crash-landed into TMA Daycare, Site 18, Tema Community.

Speaking on The Pulse on JoyNews, Head of Public Relations at the GNFS, DO II Desmond Ackah, said firefighters responded quickly after receiving the distress call.

“This afternoon around 14:59, we had this unfortunate report that a helicopter with registration number D9-ADV crash-landed into a school,” he said.

Mr Ackah explained that emergency teams were dispatched immediately and arrived at the location within minutes.

“By the time we got there, the school into which the helicopter crashed had evacuated the staff and even the students,” he said.

According to him, the evacuation helped prevent casualties among people in the school. “The good news is that the preschool into which the helicopter crashed into, we didn’t have any casualties,” he added.

However, the two people on board the helicopter did not survive the crash.

“When it crashed, unfortunately, the two persons on board passed on, and quickly we had to extricate them and hand [the bodies] over to the police at the scene for preservation and for further investigation,” Mr Ackah said.

Firefighters also had to deal with a fire that broke out after the crash.

“We had to deal with a fire that erupted with this particular aircraft, and therefore we were able to prevent further damage after the crash that we experienced,” he explained.

Mr Ackah said it is not yet clear whether the helicopter carried more than two people.

“It is not too clear as to whether this particular helicopter carried only two persons, but we were able to extricate two persons whose bodies we handed over to the police,” he said.

“The information on where it was heading, we are trying to get as much information as possible".

The crash caused damage to property at the school, although no one inside the facility was hurt.

“Once there was a crash, definitely there will be some damage, but it did not cause any injuries or fatalities to any of the occupants of the preschool that was affected,” Mr Ackah noted.

The identities of the two deceased persons are also yet to be confirmed. “It is early days yet. We are yet to know the names and even the ages of these two deceased persons,” he said.

He added that the helicopter itself was badly damaged by both the crash and the resulting fire.

“If you look at the crashed helicopter, it is badly damaged. When it crashed, there was a fire outbreak as well, and therefore, the extent of damage is quite extensive,” he explained.

Police officers are currently at the scene providing security while emergency teams work to fully extinguish the fire and secure the area.

“We have the police at the scene helping with security to ensure that the public does not crowd the area, to allow us to finally extinguish the fire that resulted from the crash,” he said.

Mr Ackah also indicated that the investigation will involve several state agencies.

“A situation like this would require a multi-stakeholder approach. An investigation will be conducted to really get to the bottom of this particular crash,” he said.

He added that the fire service will collaborate with relevant institutions, including aviation authorities, to determine the cause of the accident.

“We are in touch with the other relevant agencies to ensure that this unfortunate incident is properly investigated so that we know what actually led to it,” he said.

Firefighters are still working to secure the crash site and prevent further danger.

“I believe that within no time we should be able to manage the scene in such a way that it will not create any further damage or lead to any secondary explosion,” Mr Ackah said.

He said the two bodies have been taken away for preservation as investigations begin. “The two deceased persons have been taken away for preservation and further investigation,” he added.

Despite the tragedy, the fire service described the absence of injuries among pupils and staff as a major relief.

“The preschool where this unfortunate crash happened did not record any casualties, and that is a source of relief to us,” Mr Ackah said.