Seven people died after a safari helicopter crashed in Samburu County, northern Kenya, on Wednesday morning.
A helicopter, carrying six passengers and a pilot, crashed near Mount Ololokwe at about 9:13 a.m. on August 19, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
The aircraft was travelling from Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area when the accident occurred.
KCAA identified the aircraft as a Euro copter EC130 B4. They said the Ministry of Roads and Transport’s Air Accident Investigation Department was leading investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
All seven people aboard died in the accident , according to local police and subsequent reports from international and Kenyan media.
The United States State Department confirmed that five American citizens were among those who died.
The victims included José Alberto Suárez, a senior Telemundo executive, and Michele Sensi-Contugi, Ecuador’s intelligence chief, together with his wife, Stephany Hollihan Vásconez, who was a dual U.S.-Ecuadorian citizen.
Other victims included American citizens Roger Edward Duarte, Adam Martin Hlavaty and Henry Parra, while the Kenyan pilot was identified in reporting as Josh Outram.
The identities should be treated with care as authorities continue coordinating with the victims’ families and foreign missions.
The helicopter was operated by Lady Lori Helicopters and was carrying guests of luxury safari company &Beyond.
Luxury safari company &Beyond confirmed that a helicopter carrying its guests had crashed in Kenya, while the cause of the accident remained under investigation.
The aircraft was flying in the northern Kenya safari region when it went down near Mount Ololokwe.
The crash site was described as difficult terrain, with emergency teams facing challenges during recovery operations. Reports also said there was fire and smoke at the scene.
Kenyan aviation authorities have begun investigations to establish what caused the aircraft to crash.
KCAA said the Air Accident Investigation Department was leading the investigation, while relevant agencies were involved in the response and recovery operation.
At this stage, authorities have not publicly established a cause of the crash.
County Guardian will update this report as investigators release verified information about the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Sources: Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Reuters, Associated Press and ABC News
