Three persons have died in a chopper crash in Rivers State on Thursday.
The chopper, Sikorsky SK76, is being operated by the East Wind Aviation, crashed along the waterways near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed this, saying the helicopter crashed while en route from Port Harcourt Military Base to the NUIMANTAN oil rig.
The aircraft had eight people on board.
Keyamo, who made this known in a statement on Thursday via his X account, said “The aircraft, with eight persons on board, ditched into the waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.
“The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has been notified, and emergency response teams were immediately activated. Search and rescue operations are ongoing with the support of the Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the National Safety Investigation Bureau, and other relevant agencies. Neighbouring aerodromes have also been notified for assistance.
“While no Emergency Locator Transmitter signal was received, manual efforts to determine the accident location are underway. All available resources, including the military and low-flying aircraft, have been deployed to assist in locating and rescuing any survivors. So far, three bodies have been recovered,” Keyamo said.
Keyamo has condoled the families of those on board. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those on board, and we are committed to providing the necessary support during this difficult time.”
