Quorum Aviation Limited, owners of the bell 206 helicopter that crashed in Lagos on Friday afternoon has confirmed that the fatalities involved were its crew and that no one on the ground was affected.
The firm said in a press release that two people died while another sustained injuries and was being treated at the hospital.
“Preliminary reports indicate that of the three souls on board – all crew, two of the crew members lost their lives whilst the third one is currently receiving treatment at a hospital,” the statement read.
“We have been made to understand that nobody in the building, nor in the vicinity was injured for which we are grateful.”
The company said it alerted aviation authorities including the Accident Investigation Bureau, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority immediately it got information about the crash.
“We hereby express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the crew who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident,” Quorum said.
The helicopter was flying from Port Harcourt to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos when it crashed into a building at Opebi in Ikeja.
Witnesses told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the helicopter hovered in the sky for some minutes before crashing and that occupants of the building were not around when it happened.
Residents of the area told NAN that the helicopter struggled to crash land in the canal before it suddenly picked up and crashed into the building. “We just heard loud sound with heavy dust from the house,” Mark Okeke told NAN.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA said that investigation showed that fatalities occurred due to the impact the helicopter had on the facility.
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