Victor Ezeja
Two more bodies of people on board the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter that crashed in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State on Thursday have been recovered, says the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
This comes 24 hours after the aircraft with eight persons on board crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, off the coast of Calabar.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe NSIB had earlier reported that three bodies were recorded after the incident. With five bodies so far recovered, three more persons remain unaccounted for.
“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, said in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday.
It crashed around 11:22 am local time along the waterways after taking off from the Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) en-route to the FPSO – NUIMS ANTAN oil rig.
READ ALSO: NSIB Investigates Helicopter Crash In Port Harcourt As 3 Bodies Recovered
The cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained. However, Badeh said: “There was so light and moderate rain on their arrival and there was an overcast. We would look into that. That might have a chance or a role to play.
“Other than that, I can’t really say until we recover the flight recorder and speak to more witnesses there.”
The NSIB said there are ongoing efforts to recover the remaining bodies, adding that recovering the wreckage of the aircraft from water may take days.
In a statement on Friday, the Rivers State Police Command hinted at the possibility that all eight persons aboard the aircraft may have died after it plunged into water.
“All eight persons onboard are feared dead,” “The Marine Division of the Rivers State Police Command is cooperating with other agencies to recover the aircraft and the occupants,” the Rivers State Police Command said.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
