ABUJA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Several people were feared killed after a helicopter crashed into a river in a local community in Nigeria's southwestern Ondo State on Monday, multiple sources, including police and residents, told Xinhua.
Jimoh Abayomi, spokesperson for the Ondo state police, told Xinhua by telephone that the incident occurred in Igbokoda, a riverine community.
Abayomi said the police were unable to provide a casualty figure for now, adding that a rescue team had been deployed to the area.
Witnesses told Xinhua that the Nigerian Navy's Forward Operating Base in the state had joined the ongoing rescue operation.
Residents feared that some people on board may have died, saying the pilot appeared to struggle before the helicopter plunged into the river. Many residents rushed to the scene to help rescue possible survivors, while some used wooden boats to search for the helicopter. ■