Three Dies In Port Harcourt Helicopter Crash
A total of three persons lost their lives in a helicopter crash that happened in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Thursday.
The accident occurred at 11:22 a.m. along the waterways in Port Harcourt when the helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 with registration 5NBQG and operated by East Wind Aviation, took off from Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) to the FPSO – NUIMS ANTAN oil rig.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Odutayo Oluseyi, confirmed that eight people were on board.
The authorities said in a statement that the aircraft ditched into the waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean and that rescue efforts had been activated.
The ministry said the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and neighboring airports have been notified, adding that search and rescue operations have commenced with the support of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and other relevant agencies.
“While no Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal was received, manual efforts to plot the location of the accident are underway, and all available resources, including the military and low-flying aircraft, have been deployed to assist in locating and rescuing any survivor(s). So far, three bodies have been recovered,” the authorities said while offering words of comfort to the families of those onboard.
