A helicopter with eight passengers onboard, including an official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has crashed in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital leaving three dead.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Odutayo Oluseyi, confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday.
According to the statement, the helicopter had eight persons on board and was on a routine flight from Port Harcourt military base to an oil rig when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
The ministry confirmed that three bodies have been recovered so far, while search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the remaining passengers.
“The helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 with registration 5NBQG and operated by East Wind Aviation, was en-route from Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) to the NUIMANTAN oil rig,” the statement reads.
“The aircraft, with eight persons on board, ditched into the waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.
“The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has been notified and emergency response teams were immediately activated, and search and rescue operations are ongoing with the support of the Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), and other relevant agencies. Neighbouring aerodromes have also been notified for support.
“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.”
Confirming the presence of its personnel aboard the ill-fated helicopter, NNPCL spokesman Olufemi Soneye, in a statement, said the helicopter operated by East Winds Aviation was engaged by Company.
“We shall continue to monitor the situation and provide regular updates as the events unfold. Our prayers are with the passengers, crew and their respective families at this very difficult time.
“We assure that we will continue doing everything possible to support the ongoing search and rescue operation,” the NNPCL said.
