Two persons have been confirmed dead after a helicopter crashed into a building on Friday along Salvation Road in Opebi area of Lagos State.
The helicopter was carrying two passengers alongside the pilot when the incident occurred.
General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed the casualty figure.
He said one person has been taken into Intensive Care Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
“The agency received distress calls concerning a privately operated helicopter that crashed into 16A Salvation Road, Opebi, Ikeja and immediately activated the emergency response plan,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
“The helicopter was carrying three people, one is in the intensive care unit at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, while the other two were killed on impact and their bodies have been deposited in a mortuary. We are on top of challenges, especially crowd control. The operation is ongoing and updates will follow.”
The identities of the victims are yet to be confirmed.
Survivor narrates ordeal
A Lagos business executive, Oluwatoyin Apampa, told KaftanPost that she escaped the crash by a whisker.
According to her, the ill-fated helicopter narrowly passed her building to the next.
She, however, expressed gratitude to God for surviving.
“It flew over our building,” she narrated. “I heard the sound of the blades and knew it was in distress.
“I looked out of the window, and next thing I heard was a loud bang; it crashed!!! I thank God it didn’t fall into the compound I’m in. I’m at Abel Oreniyi off Salvation where it happened. This was about 12.10pm.”
The crash on Friday comes exactly one week after an aircraft belonging to Jet Air hit a fence at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
AIB reacts
The body in charge of all aviation-related accidents and incidents in Nigeria, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) said it has begun an investigation to unravel circumstances that led to the helicopter crash.
“Our investigators are at the scene of the accident and investigation has commenced,” AIB General Manager, Public Affairs, Tunji Oketumbi, was quoted as saying.
