A helicopter carrying tourists crashed in central Kenya today, killing all seven people aboard, including Ecuador’s intelligence chief and five US citizens, officials said.
The aircraft went down at 09.13 am local time (7.13 Irish time) in Samburu county, north of Nairobi, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA). It had taken off from the Loisaba wildlife reserve shortly before the accident.
- Advertisement -
Photographs released by the Kenya Red Cross on X this afternoon showed flames consuming the wreckage at the crash site.
“There were seven people on board the helicopter, one pilot and six passengers,” Fredrick Kabunge, director of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID), told AFP. His account confirmed earlier information from an anonymous aviation source that there were no survivors.
Ecuador’s Transport Minister Roberto Luque said the dead included Michele Sensi-Contugi, the country’s intelligence chief, and his wife, Stephany.
“Today Michele and Stephany left us too soon. Thinking of their family, especially their children and parents,” Mr Luque wrote on X.
Mr Sensi-Contugi, 42, was a former businessman who was appointed head of Ecuador’s National Intelligence Center in 2024.
He was a close ally of right-wing President Daniel Noboa, whose government is grappling with a deepening security crisis.
The US State Department confirmed that five American citizens were also killed in the crash.
A department spokesperson said the US Embassy in Kenya was working with local authorities and providing consular assistance.
The spokesperson offered condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones but did not release their names, citing privacy concerns.
Mr Kabunge said the “helicopter was transporting tourists for a scenic flight”.
Video footage shared on X showed thick black smoke rising into the sky near the foot of Mount Ololokwe, where the helicopter came down.
Mount Ololokwe is regarded as sacred by the Samburu people. Its summit reaches 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) above sea level, making it a popular destination for hikers, while tour operators also offer helicopter flights over the mountain.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. The KCAA said an investigation was under way.
The Kenya Red Cross said emergency response efforts were continuing but had been “hampered by difficult terrain and an active fire at the crash site.”
Another helicopter crash in western Kenya in March claimed six lives, including that of a member of parliament.
