Four days after a Nigerian Air Force aircraft plunged into a swampy area in Igbokoda, Ondo State, the bodies of the victims and main wreckage are yet to be recovered.
Thefrontrank reports that the military aircraft marked NAF931 carrying 25 personnel on routine mission from Benin to Lagos crashed on Monday at about 11:00 a.m.
Since the crash, the bodies of the victims and wreckage including the black box, which could provide information on the cause of the crash, are still trapped in the swamp.
The heavy equipment including heavy-duty amphibious excavators, known as swamp buggies and technical personnel armed with specialised detection equipment have been deployed to the crash site.
The swampy nature of the site has made access and recovery challenging, with initial attempts using small boats and canoes proving inadequate.
Meanwhile, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Wednesday visited the site of aircraft crash at Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, as search and recovery operations continued for the victims and the main wreckage.
Aiyedatiwa described the crash as a national tragedy, saying no survivor had been found at the scene as of the time of his visit.
The governor visited the site alongside personnel of the Nigerian Navy and Air Force, divers, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director for the Southwest, the State Emergency Management Agency director and some residents.
Aiyedatiwa said the main body of the aircraft had not been sighted as it was believed to be submerged in the swamp.
According to him, the difficulty in accessing the site prompted him to direct the Ministry of Works to deploy two amphibious machines, popularly known as swamp boogies, to open wider access through the waterways.
He said the machines had enabled rescue teams to move bigger boats closer to the crash site and were being used to excavate the soil in search of other parts of the wreckage or the main body of the aircraft.
He said the nature and depth of the swamp could have caused the aircraft to become deeply submerged in the mud.
Aiyedatiwa also disclosed that jet fuel was flowing into the water, resulting in pollution of the area with aviation fuel.
He expressed gratitude that the aircraft did not crash in the middle of the community, saying that would have resulted in a major catastrophe.
The governor sympathised with the families of the deceased and the Nigerian Air Force, describing the victims as able and young Nigerians who had signed up to defend and protect the territorial integrity of the country.
The Commander of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, Captain Andy Alemongwa, briefed the governor on the progress of the search and recovery operations.
The briefing came as Navy personnel and local divers continued efforts to locate the missing bodies and the main wreckage of the aircraft.
About the Author
