LAGOS, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A helicopter crash in southwest Nigeria's city of Lagos on Wednesday killed four, local authorities said.
The helicopter owned by the Bristow Airline, plunged into the ocean of the Third Mainland bridge in Orowoshoki, one of Lagos' commercial hubs.
Ibrahim Farinloye, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency in Lagos state, confirmed the incident, saying that the incident occurred around 3 p.m. local time (1400 GMT), adding that four lives were lost. The registration number of the ill-fated helicopter was 5N-BDG.
"We don't know exactly what happened but we have called the Nigerian Mission Control Centre (NIMCC) to confirm the distress signal," he said.
State police spokesperson Patricia Amadin, also confirmed the incident, saying the commercial helicopter plunged into the Lagoon, behind Oworosoki Police station, immediately after it took off.
Amadin said the helicopter was carrying 12 passengers, adding that six persons were rescued, while the police and other rescue teams were still searching for two other persons in the waters untill 5:19 local time (1619 GMT).
Nigeria's Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) are yet to comment on the incident.
