The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has announced that two additional bodies have been recovered from the Sikorsky SK76 helicopter that crashed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Initially, three fatalities were confirmed following the crash on Thursday, which involved a total of eight individuals on board.

Just a day after the incident, NSIB Director General Alex Badeh reported the recovery of the latest bodies, bringing the total to five, while three individuals remain unaccounted for.

He stated, “We have recovered two more bodies, making it a total of five. There are three more down there that we hope to recover today.” When asked about the chances of survival, he lamented, “Unfortunately, that is the working theory at this time.”

Badeh indicated that investigators were on their way to the crash site, noting that it might take days to recover the wreckage.

“The priority is to recover the remaining bodies,” he said, while also adding that there is still a possibility of finding survivors.

“Human beings are resilient. As long as they have life support devices, there is a chance we might find survivors,” he added.

The helicopter, registered as 5NBQG and operated by East Wind Aviation, crashed one kilometre from its destination while on a flight from the Port Harcourt Military Base to the FPSO – NUIMS ANTAN oil rig. The cause of the crash remains unclear, but Badeh said that there was light to moderate rain and overcast conditions at the time of arrival, which would be investigated.

In response to the tragedy, President Bola Tinubu has ordered authorities to intensify their search efforts and has expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has indicated that all eight passengers aboard the helicopter are feared dead, reaffirming the ongoing rescue efforts by various agencies.

In a statement by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the command extended its deepest condolences to the families of the victims “during this tragic time.”