Four people are receiving medical care following a plane accident in Owerri, the capital of Imo State. The Skypower Express Cessna 172 reportedly somersaulted at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport after the flight crew, en route from Kaduna to Port Harcourt, declared an emergency and diverted the aircraft. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed the incident on Tuesday.
Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the NSIB, released a statement detailing the occurrence.
The bureau claimed that all four occupants were on board at the time of the crash, and no lives were lost.
“Airport emergency response services were immediately activated and arrived at the scene promptly.
Officials confirmed that there was no post-crash fire, and flight operations at the airport were not disrupted, as the runway remained active with other aircraft taking off safely after the incident,” Oladeji said.
She also stated that plans were being made to recover and transfer the damaged aircraft from the accident site in order to conduct a thorough examination of the debris.
In a related event, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., Director-General of the NSIB, stated that the agency had begun its investigative processes in accordance with its mandate.
“We express our deepest sympathies to the management of Skypower Express and are relieved that no fatalities have been reported so far. The NSIB has activated its protocols, and our team is already coordinating with relevant authorities to secure the site,” he said
Captain Badeh Jr. added that further updates will be provided as the investigation continues.
