Photos of six offshore workers, amongst the eight people who tragically lost their lives following the crash of an Eastwind Aviation helicopter into the Bonny River in Rivers State, have surfaced on social media.......KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE👈
TheNewsGuru earlier reported that the helicopter, carrying six passengers and two crew members, went down en route from Port Harcourt Military Base to the FPSO Nuim Antan offshore platform near Calabar.
According to the Rivers State Police Command, all personnel aboard on the aircraft feared dead.
Police Public Relations Officer Grace Iringe-Koko noted that an employee of Antan Producing Limited, Ifeanyi Udogw, reported the incident to authorities.
The helicopter, identified as call sign 5N-BQG (S76C+), departed from the NAF Base in Port Harcourt around 11 a.m. before crashing near the Mimbo platform and FPSO of Antan Producing Limited.
Following the crash, the Rivers State Police Marine Division is coordinating with other agencies to recover the wreckage and locate all occupants.
In her statement, Iringe-Koko expressed the Command’s deep condolences to the victims’ families.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Aviation, Odutayo Oluseyi, also confirmed the incident, revealing that three bodies have been recovered so far.
Initial reports indicate that the oil workers onboard were contract staff for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
According to the ministry, the helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 with registration 5N-BQG, was on its way to the Nuimantan Oil Rig when it ditched near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean. No Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal was received , and manual tracking efforts were launched .
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining workers.
The National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has opened an investigation into the crash.