Nigerian naval helicopter crashes; 4 feared dead

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – A Nigerian naval spokesman says one of its helicopters crashed in the Niger Delta, likely killing the four people onboard.

Commodore David Nabaida says the helicopter crashed Tuesday afternoon while searching for a ship that supposedly ran aground in the region.

Nabaida says the helicopter went down near Port Harcourt International Airport. The three officers and a seaman onboard are feared dead.

The commodore says an investigation will uncover what caused the crash, but he says the navy had no evidence it was brought down by hostile fire. Militants and oil thieves have attacked pipelines and security forces in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.