WASHINGTON: Five American citizens died on Wednesday in a helicopter crash while sightseeing in Kenya, a US State Department spokesperson said.
The US Embassy in Kenya is in contact with local authorities, the spokesperson said in an email received by AFP, conveying US condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died when the helicopter crashed in central Kenya.
Ecuador’s intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife were killed in a helicopter crash in Kenya on Wednesday, Ecuador’s transport minister said. The helicopter, which was carrying several tourists, crashed in Samburu county, north of the capital Nairobi, killing all on board, an aviation source said.
“Today Michele and Stephany left us too soon. Thinking of their family, especially their children and parents,” transport minister Roberto Luque wrote on X.
The accident happened at 09:13 am local time (0613 GMT), according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), after the aircraft departed from the Loisaba wildlife reserve.
“There were 7 people on board the helicopter, one pilot and six passengers,” Fredrick Kabunge, director of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID), said, confirming that no one survived.
Earlier, an aviation source who sought anonymity confirmed the accident, saying: “There are no survivors.” In a video shared on X, black smoke can be seen billowing into the sky at the foot of Mount Ololokwe, where the crash occurred.
Kabunge said the “helicopter was transporting tourists for a scenic flight”.
Mount Ololokwe, a sacred mountain for the Samburu people whose summit rises to 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) above sea level, is a popular hiking destination.
Companies offer helicopter flyovers. Kabunge said the nationalities of the tourists had yet to be established.
The cause of the crash has not yet been established, with KCAA saying investigations were underway. The Kenya Red Cross also said that response operations were ongoing, part of a multi-agency team attempting to access the crash site.
Images shared by the Red Cross on X in the afternoon showed a crash site in flames.
In March, a helicopter crash in western Kenya killed six people, including a member of parliament.
Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2026
