A day after the Nigerian Air Force's ATR-42 airplane crash in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, no survivors have been evacuated from the scene. The state Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists at the Marine Police Command at Igbokoda on Tuesday. The crash site is in a difficult terrain of creeks and mangroves, making it challenging to access.
An undisclosed number of journalists were allegedly arrested by the military on Monday for trying to get to the crash site. However, Channels TV reporter and cameraman were saved from arrest by the Commissioner of Police. As of the time of the report, no journalist was allowed to access the scene. The Police Commissioner described the situation as "unfortunate" and mentioned that accessing the site was not easy.
Commissioner Ohagwu observed that most of the body parts of the plane were in pieces, with clothes and body parts littered everywhere. He stated that his men were trying to recover the wreckage, and both human and plane parts had been recovered since the previous day. The recovery of the wreckage is still in progress, and the Commissioner thanked the OCA, Marine, and the DPO Igbokoda for their support.
According to the Commissioner, there are no survivors yet, and from what they have seen, there are no indications of survivors. The evacuation exercise continues, with more technical support awaited. A bigger machine is expected to pull the wreckage from the water, and the Commissioner is expecting a response from NEMA and other agencies.
The crash site is still being managed, with the Police Commissioner and his men working to recover the wreckage. The terrain has made it difficult to access the site, but efforts are being made to calm down the scene. The Commissioner mentioned that they are still expecting a bigger instrument to pull the wreckage out of the water.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of air travel in Nigeria. The Nigerian Air Force has not released an official statement on the cause of the crash, but an investigation is expected to be conducted by the relevant agencies. The evacuation efforts are ongoing, with the goal of recovering all bodies and wreckage.
The amphibious excavator arrived at the scene 26 hours after the crash, which will aid in the recovery efforts. The incident is a national disaster, and the government and relevant agencies are working together to manage the situation and provide support to those affected.
Key points
- No survivors have been found at the scene of the NAF's ATR-42 airplane crash in Ondo State.
- Evacuation efforts are ongoing, with a bigger machine expected to pull the wreckage from the water.
- Journalists were allegedly arrested by the military for trying to access the crash site.
