Three bodies have been recovered, and five passengers remain missing following a helicopter accident in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday.
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, confirmed the incident on the same day.
The helicopter, registered as 5NBQG, departed from the Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) en route to the NUIMANTAN oil rig but failed to reach its destination.
“The Federal Ministry of Aviation has received the distressing report of a helicopter accident that occurred today, 24th October 2024, at around 11:22 am along the waterways in Port Harcourt,” said Odutayo Oluseyi, head of press and public relations for the ministry, in a statement shared by Keyamo on his X handle. The helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 operated by East Wind Aviation, was traveling from the Port Harcourt Military Base to the NUIMANTAN oil rig.
“The aircraft, carrying eight people, went down in the waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.”
Authorities were immediately informed, and search and rescue teams, including the Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), were activated. Efforts to locate survivors continue.
Despite the helicopter’s emergency locator transmitter failing to provide any signal, rescuers are using manual methods to identify the crash location.
“Neighboring aerodromes have also been alerted for support. Although no Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal was detected, manual efforts to determine the accident site are underway, with military personnel and low-flying aircraft assisting in the search for survivors,” the statement added.
“Thus far, three bodies have been recovered.”
