Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has announced that the remains of three out of eight individuals onboard a Sikorsky SK76 helicopter, with registration number 5NBQG, have been recovered.
The helicopter crashed on Thursday morning while en-route from Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) to the Nuimantan oil rig.
In a statement, Odutayo Oluseyi from the ministry confirmed that the helicopter, operated by East Wind Aviation, went down at 11:22 a.m. along the waterways in Port Harcourt.
According to the statement, “the helicopter ditched into the waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.”
Oluseyi further explained that rescue efforts have been initiated, with the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and neighbouring aerodromes being informed.
He added, “Search and rescue operations have commenced with the support of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other relevant agencies.”
Despite no Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal being detected, Oluseyi stated that “manual efforts to plot the location of the accident are underway, and all available resources, including the military and low-flying aircraft, have been deployed to assist in locating and rescuing any survivor(s).”
So far, three bodies have been recovered. Authorities also extended their condolences to the families of those onboard.