Three bodies have been recovered after a helicopter with eight people on board crashed into the waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.
The accident happened on Thursday, 24th October 2024, at around 11:22 am along the waterways near Port Harcourt.
The helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 with registration number 5NBQG, was operated by East Wind Aviation and was heading from the Port Harcourt Military Base to the NUIMANTAN oil rig when it crashed.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the incident in a statement, saying that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau had been informed. He said, “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, and other relevant agencies.”
The spokesman for the ministry, added that all available resources, Odutayo Oluseyi, including the military and low-flying aircraft, have been deployed to find and rescue any survivors. “While no Emergency Locator Transmitter signal was received, manual efforts to locate the crash site are underway,” the statement read.
“So far, three bodies have been recovered,” the ministry confirmed. Keyamo assured the public that the government is working hard with all agencies to ensure a well-coordinated response and to minimize casualties.
The ministry also expressed its sympathy to the families of those involved, promising to provide support during this difficult time. The search for the remaining five passengers continues.
