Keyamo says 32 were aboard crashed Ondo military aircraft; rescue continues

Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo says preliminary information puts the number aboard the military aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday at 32, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members.

The wreckage had been located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, and search and rescue operations were continuing. The number of casualties had not been determined.

The Nigerian Air Force identified the aircraft as an ATR-42 and said it was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. Its spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said emergency agencies were working with the force on the rescue operation.

Keyamo said air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 9:13am on October 5. Attempts to reach it by radio failed before information emerged that it had crashed. His statement gave the tail number as NGR 931.

The minister said military aircraft are outside the regulatory authority of his ministry and the civil aviation authority. He had spoken with Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and offered the ministry’s cooperation and assistance.

NaijaTrend earlier reported the police confirmation of the crash here. That initial account described a reported helicopter crash, before the Air Force identified the aircraft as an ATR-42.

The Air Force said it would release further details as they became available. Its statement did not confirm deaths or injuries.

Sources: Punch, Daily Trust, Premium Times