A morning flight over northern Kenya ended in tragedy on Wednesday when a helicopter carrying six tourists and a pilot crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, killing everyone aboard.
The aircraft went down at about 9:13 a.m. while travelling from Loisaba to Ewasonyiro, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. The crash happened near Kirish, in rugged terrain close to Mount Ololokwe.
Witnesses reported seeing thick smoke and flames rising from the area shortly after the helicopter came down.
Images from the crash site showed the remains of the aircraft scattered across rocky, brush-covered ground. Parts of the fuselage, rotor and other components could be seen among the vegetation. Other photographs showed sections of the wreckage still smouldering as emergency teams and local personnel worked at the scene.
The Kenya Red Cross sent emergency teams to the remote site. Drones were used to help survey the area, where the difficult terrain complicated the response.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that seven people were aboard, including six tourists and the pilot. Their identities and nationalities had not initially been released.
“The aircraft was conducting a flight from Loisaba to Ewasonyiro when the accident occurred,” the authority said.
The cause of the crash remained unknown on Wednesday. The Ministry of Roads and Transport’s Air Accident Investigation Department was leading the inquiry, with KCAA coordinating with other agencies.
The accident also drew the attention of &Beyond, whose guests were aboard the helicopter, according to a statement from the luxury tourism company reported by Reuters. The company said the aircraft had been travelling towards the Ewaso Nyiro River and that the incident was under investigation.
Authorities were continuing recovery operations and working to establish the identities of those killed.
The crash comes as Kenya’s safari industry continues to rely on small aircraft and helicopters to connect visitors with remote conservancies and national parks. Such flights can provide access to destinations that are difficult to reach by road, but accidents in remote areas can also make rescue and recovery particularly challenging.
For now, investigators face the task of reconstructing the helicopter’s final moments and determining what went wrong.
KCAA offered its condolences to the victims’ families.
“The Authority extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims following this tragic incident,” it said.
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