The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has announced that two additional bodies have been recovered from the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter that crashed in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.

Following the crash on Thursday, three fatalities were confirmed. There were eight individuals on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.

Just a day after the crash, the NSIB reported that more bodies had been found, while three individuals are still unaccounted for.

“We have recovered two more bodies, making it a total of five. There are three more down there that hopefully will be recovered today,” NSIB Director General Alex Badeh said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast show Sunrise Daily. 

When asked if there are chances that none of those on board the aircraft survived the crash, Badeh said, “Unfortunately. this time, that is the working theory”.

According to him, investigators are on their way to the scene of the accident, saying it would take days for the wreckage of the aircraft to be recovered.

‘We Might Find Survivors’

He said, “The priority is to recover the rest of the bodies there” but there is a “chance” that some persons onboard the aircraft might be alive.

“Human beings are resilient. As long as they have their life support devices, there is a chance we might find survivors there,” Badeh said.

The helicopter, with registration 5N-BQG, operated by Eastwind Aviation, crashed one kilometre away from its destination. It was engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

It crashed around 11:22 am along the waterways in the Rivers State capital after taking off from the Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) to the FPSO – NUIMS ANTAN oil rig.

The cause of the incident is unclear as of now but Badeh said “there was so light and moderate rain on their arrival and there was an overcast. We would look into that. That might have a chance or a role to play.

“Other than that, I can’t really say until we recover the flight recorder and speak to more witnesses there.”

In response to the incident, President Bola Tinubu has directed authorities to intensify their efforts in the rescue mission.

He also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) regarding the crash.