A Nigerian Air Force helicopter on Friday crashlanded and exploded at the NAF Base, Port Harcourt.
The incident reportedly happened around 7.50am.
The cause is yet to be ascertained but NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said in a statement that the NAF MI-35P had taken off to embark on an operation against oil thieves in Rivers State.
He added that five persons on board survived with minor injuries.
The statement read, “A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) MI-35P helicopter has crashed at Port Harcourt today, December 1, 2023. The unfortunate incident occurred at about 7.45 am shortly after the aircraft took off for an operation against economic saboteurs in Rivers State.
” Fortunately, the entire crew of five survived the crash with very minor injuries and are currently being attended to at NAF Medical Centre Port Harcourt.’
He added that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, is on his way to the scene to assess the situation.
“The Chief of Air Staff is currently en route to Port Harcourt to assess the situation for himself, see to the wellbeing of the crew, and give further directives.
“An incident of this nature is yet again a grim reminder of the dangers associated with military flying and the risks NAF pilots and technicians experience in their onerous tasks of defending our nation and deterring criminal elements from their nefarious activities.”
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