Nairobi: As many as 12 people were killed after a plane heading to Kichwa Tembo in Kenya’s Maasai Mara crashed in the Kwale Simba area on Tuesday, local media reported.
Confirming the crash, Kenya’s Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) stated, “KCAA wishes to confirm that an aircraft, registration number 5Y-CCA, on its way, from Diana to Kichwa Tembo, crashed at 0530Z.”
According to Kenyan media outlet ‘The Standard’, Kwale County Commissioner Steven Orinde said that all 12 victims were foreign tourists travelling to Masai Mara. Orinde said, “We are yet to establish their nationality, but they were all foreign tourists heading to Mara.”
Later, Mombasa Air Safari Limited revealed the identity of passengers onboard as 10, including eight Hungarians, two Germans and two crew members.
Government agencies have reached the site of the incident and are carrying out investigation to determine the cause of the crash and examine its impact, the report said.
The accident comes two months after a similar incident occurred in August. At least six people were killed and two others injured after light aircraft belonging to AMREF Flying Doctors crashed in a residential area on the outskirts of Nairobi, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a government official.
Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula said, “We have six people dead. The four who were on board and two on the ground. Two others were injured on the ground.” He said that the deceased included four medical personnel onboard the Cessna Citation 560 ambulance aircraft with registration 5Y-FDM and two members of the public at the crash site.
In a statement, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) Director-General Emile Arao said that the aircraft took off from Wilson Airport in Nairobi at 2:14 pm (local time) and heading to Hargeisa in northern Somalia. The aircraft crashed three minutes later in the Mwihoko area.
(IANS)
