A resident who visited the scene of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje LGA of Ondo state, on Monday, said human remains, aircraft parts and personal effects were scattered across the area.
Oluboyo Olusola, the resident, said some bodies were also
found inside the water, noting that the difficult terrain initially prevented
first responders from reaching the crash site until naval personnel assisted
them in gaining access to the area.
Olusola said the incident occurred at about 10 am and that
he did not witness the aircraft go down but was alerted by a deafening sound
that sent residents rushing towards the scene.
According to him, the condition of the crash site and what
was recovered there suggest that there might be no survivors.
“We heard a loud noise like thunder and rushed to the scene,
only to discover that it was an aircraft crash. Initially, we thought it was a
helicopter but later understood it was an aircraft,” he said.
“It was difficult to access the terrain, but with the
assistance of some naval officers, we were able to get there and saw the
remains of the aircraft, as well as human remains, clothes, shoes and other
personal effects.
“Some of the bodies were also inside the water. From what I
saw, it appeared that there was no survivor.”
He added that the difficult terrain and waterlogged nature
of the area posed a major challenge to those trying to reach the wreckage.
Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, the Olu of Igbokoda, who also spoke on
the incident, said he was in court when the crash occurred and immediately
directed some palace aides to proceed to the scene to ascertain what had
happened.
The monarch said he initially feared the aircraft could have
been a commercial passenger plane, which could have resulted in an even higher
number of casualties.
Odidiomo said the aircraft did not crash within the town,
adding that such an incident could have resulted in a major tragedy.
“The aircraft crashed into the river and a swampy area. It
was raining when the incident happened, and the place was waterlogged,” he
said.
“The aircraft did not catch fire, but a substantial part of
it has gone into the water.”
“We cannot describe the exact situation for now, but from my
investigation and what we have gathered so far, there was no survivor.”
He, however, said authorities were still working to
establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
The NAF aircraft ATR-42 with tail number NGR 931 was on a
routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed in a swampy area near
the naval base in Igbokoda.
Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace
development, said 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board.
Ehimen Ejodame, NAF director of public relations and
information, said the force had commenced search and rescue operations in
coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
Maurice Oripelaye, chairman of Ilaje LGA, said military
equipment had been recovered from the site but cautioned against premature
conclusions on the casualty figure, noting that it was too early to establish
the number of people who may have died.
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