ABUJA SITREP #2: CRASH OF BELLVIEW FLIGHT 3210

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002030 SIPDIS FOR CA/OCS, DS/CC, DS/IP/AF, AF/EX, AF/W E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2015 TAGS: ASEC CASC AEMR AMGT NI BELLVIEW SUBJECT: ABUJA SITREP #2: CRASH OF BELLVIEW FLIGHT 3210 REF: A. ABUJA 2029 ¶B. LAGOS 1643 Classified by Ambassador John Campbell for reason 1.4 (d). ¶1. (C) The EAC convened at 12:00 and was chaired by Ambassador Campbell. We continue to receive incomplete and sometimes conflicting reports about the location of the crash site and the presence and number of possible survivors. Pol Counselor spoke this morning to a Nigerian pilot who said he was part of the search and rescue operation. The pilot reported there were at least 50 survivors. We have heard the crash site is near Kainji, in Niger state, but more recent reports again list the location as near Kishi, in Oyo State near the border with Kwara. In either case, the site would be nearly equidistant from Abuja and Lagos and we are launching response teams from both sites. We are proceeding on the assumption that there are survivors, some perhaps Amcits, who require immediate medical attention. ¶2. (C) The Embassy mobilized a response team (comprised of a consular officer, DAO official, ODC official, RAO officer, an FSN RSO investigator, and an FSN nurse) which departed for the crash region around 12:30 pm. The trip to the crash region, still thought to be near the border of Oyo and Kwara states, will take 5-6 hours. The team is traveling in at least 4 vehicles, including the Embassy Ambulance and bringing extensive medical and emergency supplies. The Abuja response team will communicate with Embassy and Consulate Lagos by cellular and satellite phone. They will coordinate with the 2 response teams from Congen Lagos when they reach the crash region. It is our understanding that Lagos has already dispatched its first team to the crash region (again including consular and medical officers, including RMO Darken, as well as emergency and medical supplies) and a second team will launch early this afternoon. Management officers in both Abuja and Lagos are exploring the possibility of chartering a helicopter from either Abuja or Lagos to shuttle personnel to/from the crash site, should that become necessary. ¶3. (C) Embassy received a copy of the Bellview passenger manifest around 11:00 am. (Copy has been sent to Ops Center by fax and email.) The manifest listed two names we immediately recognized as American citizens: Major Joseph Haydon, an Embassy employee, and Chukwuemeka Okoli, the name of one of our resident American Fulbright scholars. Public Affairs staff was able to reach our Fulbrighter by telephone and confirm he was NOT/NOT the Mr. Okoli on board the Bellview flight. Thus, at present we can only confirm one Amcit (Major Haydon) was on board Bellview 3210. Consular officers will continue to check other names from the manifest against our consular registration databases, but without additional data we expect it will be difficult to confirm presence of any additional Amcits, as most names on the list are incomplete and are very common in Nigeria. ¶4. (C) Ambassador and DATT called on the family of Major Haydon around 11:30am. Embassy personnel remain with the family during this crisis to offer support. ¶5. (C) A/S Frazer is in Lagos and intends to proceed to Abuja later today. Her meeting with President Obasanjo tomorrow will be cancelled, as he plans to be in Lagos to receive his wife Stella's body at the airport there. Other meetings with GON officials still appear to be on schedule for tomorrow. ¶6. (C) EAC will reconvene around 15:00 local time. We remain concerned about the potential for unrest in Nigeria given the confluence of unusual and unfortunate events this weekend, including the aircrash and the death of the first lady. CAMPBELL