Tragedy struck in Port Harcourt on Thursday as a helicopter crash claimed the lives of three individuals.
The incident occurred at 11:22 a.m. when a Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, with registration 5NBQG, operated by East Wind Aviation, crashed while traveling from Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) to the Nuimantan oil rig.
According to Odutayo Oluseyi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, there were eight people onboard when the aircraft went down.
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The helicopter ditched in the waters near Bonny Finima, in the Atlantic Ocean, prompting swift rescue efforts.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has been alerted, and search and rescue operations are in progress with assistance from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other relevant agencies.
Despite the absence of an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal, manual efforts are being made to determine the crash location, with military personnel and low-flying aircraft actively involved in the search for survivors.
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In a statement, authorities confirmed that three bodies have been recovered, while expressing sympathy to the families affected by the incident.
The search for possible survivors continues as emergency teams utilize all available resources to aid in the recovery efforts.
