Six tourists and a pilot have been killed after a helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County.
The helicopter came down at about 9.13am on Wednesday while flying from Loisaba to Ewasonyiro, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
The crash happened near Kirish, close to Mount Ololokwe. Witnesses reported seeing thick smoke and flames rising from the crash site.
Police said seven people including six tourists and the pilot were on board.
Their nationalities had not been established.Rescue teams, including the Kenya Red Cross, were sent to the area.
Drones were used to survey the remote crash site, which was difficult to access.
KCAA said the Air Accident Investigation Department at the Ministry of Roads and Transport would lead an investigation into the cause of the crash.
“The aircraft was conducting a flight from Loisaba to Ewasonyiro when the accident occurred,” KCAA said in a statement.
The authority said it was coordinating with other agencies and stakeholders responding to the accident.KCAA expressed its condolences to the families of those killed.
“The Authority extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims following this tragic incident,” it said.
Investigators are expected to establish the circumstances that led to the crash as authorities work to recover the bodies and confirm the identities of those killed.
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