Military aircraft with 32 onboard crashes in Nigeria; rescue operation underway

The Nigerian Air Force said search-and-rescue teams had been deployed to the crash site and were working with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

Nigeria has launched a search-and-rescue operation after a military aircraft carrying 32 people crashed in Ondo State in the country’s southwest on Monday.

The aircraft, identified by the Nigerian Air Force as an ATR-42, was travelling from Benin to Lagos on a routine mission when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at around 9:13 am local time. Repeated attempts to establish radio contact were unsuccessful.

The wreckage was later located near a naval base in Igbokoda, according to Nigeria’s Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo. Preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board.

Rescue operation underway

The Nigerian Air Force said search-and-rescue teams had been deployed to the crash site and were working with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

Keyamo said he had spoken to Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and offered the Aviation Ministry’s full cooperation and assistance in the ongoing rescue operation.

Authorities had not immediately confirmed any casualties, while the extent of damage to the aircraft remained unclear.

The crash took place in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State, with local reports indicating that the aircraft came down close to a river and naval facility.

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