A Ghanaian student, Mercy Yaaba Bredu, has died in China just two days after arriving to begin a master’s degree programme.

Bredu left Ghana on Monday, August 24, 2026. Her flight departed at about 1:30 p.m. During the journey she complained of heart pain. Shortly after landing in China, while receiving a bouquet of flowers at the airport, she suddenly collapsed and was rushed to hospital.

She died on Wednesday, August 26, according to her former university classmates. Medical staff had tried to stabilise her, but she did not recover.

Bredu graduated with first-class honours and had secured scholarships for postgraduate study in both the United States and China. She chose China, where she planned to further her education and also explore opportunities in the import business.

She previously served as Vice President of the Association of Students of English (ASSENS) at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in 2024. News of her death has left former classmates, friends and the wider ASSENS community in shock and mourning.

Family members had seen her off at Accra International Airport before her departure. Within 48 hours of leaving home, they received the devastating news of her passing.