All Eight Passengers Feared Dead in Bonny Helicopter Crash

Earlier reports confirmed three fatalities in the helicopter crash near Bonny. However, the Rivers State Police Command now states that all eight passengers on board may have perished in the Thursday incident. The crash occurred at 11:22 a.m. over Port Harcourt's waterways when a Sikorsky SK76, registered as 5NBQG and operated by East Wind Aviation, departed from Port Harcourt Military Base en route to the FPSO – NUIMS ANTAN oil rig.

A Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development spokesperson, Odutayo Oluseyi, confirmed eight people were on board. The helicopter went down in waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean, with authorities reporting that rescue operations are underway. Following this, Rivers State Police Command, via spokesperson SP Grace Iringe-Koko, noted that all passengers might have lost their lives. President Bola Tinubu has since ordered an intensified search and directed the military to join rescue efforts.

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