Pupils and staff at a preschool in Tema escaped unhurt on Monday afternoon after a helicopter crashed into their school compound, authorities have confirmed.

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) said the incident occurred around 2:59 PM when a helicopter with registration number G9-ADV crash-landed into TMA Daycare at Site 18 in Tema Community One.

Speaking on The Pulse on JoyNews, the Head of Public Relations at the GNFS, Desmond Ackah, said firefighters responded swiftly after receiving a distress call about the crash.

“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.

According to him, by the time emergency teams arrived at the scene, school authorities had already evacuated the children and staff, preventing injuries at the facility.

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

The fire service described the absence of casualties among the preschool’s occupants as a major relief.

“The good news is that the preschool into which the helicopter crashed into, we didn’t have any casualties,” he added.

Despite the successful evacuation, the two individuals who were on board the aircraft 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 contain a fire that erupted shortly after the crash to prevent further destruction.

“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.

Authorities say it remains unclear whether more people may have been on board the helicopter.

“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.”

Although the crash caused damage to parts of the school property, no injuries were recorded among those inside the facility.

“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 deceased are 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.

Police officers have since secured the area while firefighters continue efforts to fully extinguish the fire and stabilise the crash site.

“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 added that investigations into the cause of the crash will involve multiple 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.

The fire service is collaborating with aviation authorities and other relevant institutions as the investigation begins.

“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.

Emergency teams remain at the scene working to secure the area and prevent further risks.

“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.

The bodies of the two victims have been taken away for preservation while investigations continue.

“The two deceased persons have been taken away for preservation and further investigation,” he added.