President Bola Tinubu has expressed his condolences to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the families affected by Thursday’s helicopter crash in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Gatekeepers News reports that on Thursday, Bayo Onanuga, the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, announced that Tinubu has instructed the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and other relevant authorities to enhance their efforts in searching for survivors.
The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development reported that three individuals lost their lives in the crash. While no emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was detected, manual efforts to determine the accident’s location are in progress.
All available resources, including military assistance and low-flying aircraft, have been mobilised to aid in the search and rescue operations.
In its statement regarding the incident, NNPC stated that the helicopter, operated by East Winds Aviation, was contracted by the national oil company.
The helicopter was transporting eight individuals—six passengers and two crew members—from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base in Port Harcourt to its floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) facility.
To bolster the rescue efforts, Tinubu has directed military personnel engaged in operations in the area to assist the NSIB, NCAA, and other agencies with the necessary support.
