Helicopter With Oil Workers Crash With 3 Confirmed Dead In Rivers State
A tragic helicopter crash involving six oil workers and two crew members has occurred in Rivers State with three persons confirmed dead from the incident.
Didactic Information Hut gathered that the victims who were workers at the OML 123 oil field were onboard when the helicopter nosedived into the Atlantic Ocean near the Mimbo platform and Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel around 11:40 a.m. on Thursday.
Sources indicate that all individuals on board are feared dead.
“There were six personnel and two crew members onboard the helicopter. Three bodies have been recovered so far. Search and rescue is ongoing.
“The helicopter belongs to Eastwind Aviation,” the source stated.
Nigerian Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in a statement has also confirmed the incident.
“The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has been notified and emergency response teams were immediately activated,” stated the Ministry.
The Honourable Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, SAN, confirmed that search and rescue operations are ongoing.
“The Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), and other relevant agencies are actively involved,” he added.
Despite the absence of an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal, efforts are being made to manually plot the crash location. “All available resources, including the military and low-flying aircraft, have been deployed to assist in locating and rescuing any survivor(s),” the Minister further explained.
“The Honourable Minister of Aviation is actively working with all relevant agencies to ensure a coordinated response and to minimise casualties from this unfortunate incident,” the statement continued.
Keyamo extended his condolences to 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.”
