Rescue operations following the crash of an ATR-42 military aircraft at Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have been slowed by difficult terrain and the need to clear thick vegetation manually.
The crash site was visited by rescue teams at about 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, where they joined local residents who had used canoes and machetes to cut through the bush leading to the location.
Although the Ondo State Government ordered the deployment of logistics to support the operation, an amphibious excavator belonging to the state did not arrive in Igbokoda until about 1 p.m.
The difficult terrain also made it challenging to deploy the excavator into the water. As of 2 p.m., the machine was still ashore while efforts were being made to determine how best to move it into the waterway.
In the absence of the excavator, officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), firefighters, police officers, soldiers and local residents manually paddled boats through a narrow, grassy waterway to reach the crash site.
Residents at the scene expressed concern over the slow progress of the rescue operation, with some questioning whether the boats could successfully navigate the difficult route.
Ondo State Maritime Commander, R. Gajere, said he was the first to locate the crash site and could only access it by canoe.
Mr Gajere said his team had recovered some human remains and parts of the aircraft. He called for greater cooperation among the agencies involved to ensure the quick and thorough evacuation of victims and aircraft debris.
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