This brings the total number of confirmed deaths to five, following the initial report of three deaths on Thursday. When the incident occurred, the helicopter had eight people on board: six passengers and two crew members.
“We have recovered two more bodies, making it a total of five. There are three more down there that hopefully will be recovered today,” NSIB Director General, Alex Badeh, was quoted to have said on Channels Television.
When questioned about the possibility that no one on board the aircraft survived the crash, Badeh replied, “Unfortunately, that is the current working theory.”
He further stated that investigators are en route to the accident site and warned that it may take several days to recover the aircraft’s wreckage. In his words:
“The priority is to recover the rest of the bodies there” but there is a “chance” that some persons onboard the aircraft might be alive. “Human beings are resilient. As long as they have their life support devices, there is a chance we might find survivors there,” Badeh said....Read Full Article [Click Here>]
The helicopter, registered as 5N-BQG and operated by Eastwind Aviation, crashed just one kilometre shy of its destination.
According to Channels Television, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had contracted the helicopter, which plummeted into the waterways in the Rivers State capital at approximately 11:22 am.
The ill-fated flight took off from the Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) and was headed for the FPSO-NUIMS ANTAN oil rig. The cause of the incident is unclear.
