Panic spread through Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday after a helicopter reportedly crashed in the riverine community, with fears that some people on board may have died.

According to a report by SaharaReporters, the circumstances surrounding the incident and the number of people aboard the aircraft had yet to be established at the time of filing this report.

Residents reportedly reacted to the incident by rushing away from the area as efforts were being made to reach the crash location and establish what happened. The condition of anyone who may have survived was also not immediately known.

A resident who spoke to SaharaReporters confirmed that a helicopter had gone down in Igbokoda. However, the Ondo State Police Command said it had not received information about the incident when contacted.

Police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh reportedly said he was unaware of the crash but would make inquiries to establish the situation.

Igbokoda is a major coastal community in Ilaje, an area where helicopter operations are associated with activities in the oil and gas sector. The reported incident comes amid continuing concerns over helicopter safety in Nigeria, following several crashes involving civilian, military and oil-sector aircraft in recent years.