KEY POINTS
- A helicopter crashed into the Atlantic near Bonny Finima.
- No Emergency Locator Transmitter signal was received.
- Three bodies have been recovered; search efforts continue.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has announced that a Sikorsky SK76 operated by East Wind Aviation was involved in a helicopter crash. An immediate search and rescue operation has been launched in the Atlantic Ocean’s waterways in response to the tragedy.
Helicopter crashed en route to oil rig
Around 11:22 a.m. on Thursday, the accident occurred. Initial reports state that the chopper crashed close to Bonny Finima as it was en route from the Port Harcourt Military Base to the NUIMANTAN oil complex. Eight individuals were inside the aircraft when it crashed.
In a statement posted on X, the original name for Twitter, Keyamo made the announcement on Thursday. He described the rapid reaction activities and conveyed his profound sorrow for anyone impacted by the disaster.
According to Business Day, eight people were on board when the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean close to Bonny Finima. Emergency reaction teams were promptly mobilised after notifying the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau,” Keyamo said. “The Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the National Safety Investigation Bureau, and other pertinent agencies are assisting with the ongoing search and rescue efforts. Additionally, nearby aerodromes have been alerted to offer support.
Keyamo stressed that the aircraft did not send out any Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signals. Nonetheless, work is being done to manually pinpoint the crash’s precise location. He affirmed that the search for survivors has involved deploying all available resources, including low-flying aircraft and military troops.
Emergency response teams recover three bodies
“Three bodies have been recovered so far,” Keyamo stated, highlighting how grave the situation is. To find any survivors and retrieve the remaining passengers, he said, search and rescue crews are still working.
The minister offered the families of those on board his sincere sympathies. “We are completely committed to providing the necessary support during this extremely difficult time, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those affected,” he said.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash and trying to figure out what caused it. As search and rescue efforts continue, more updates are anticipated.
