This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

231318Z Oct 05

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