Authorities in Kenya said a Kenya helicopter crash killed all seven people aboard on Wednesday after a safari flight went down in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a remote but popular tourist site.
Kenya’s Civil Aviation Authority said the Eurocopter EC130 B4 crashed at 9:13 a.m. local time, 0613 GMT, after departing the Loisaba wildlife reserve en route to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County, north of Nairobi. Officials said an investigation is underway to determine the cause.
Video shared on social media showed smoking wreckage scattered in thickly wooded terrain, with flames visible at the site.
What do we know about the victims of the Kenya crash?
The U.S. State Department said five of the six passengers who died were U.S. citizens. “The U.S. Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance,” the department said in a statement, offering condolences to the families.
A senior executive at Telemundo, the U.S.-based Spanish-language television network owned by Comcast/NBCUniversal, was reportedly among those killed.
Michele Sensi-Contugi, director of Ecuador’s Strategic Intelligence Center, also died in the crash, as did his wife, who held U.S. citizenship.
Sensi-Contugi, a former businessman, was a close ally of Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, who named him intelligence chief in 2024. Ecuador’s presidency said on X that it extended its condolences to his family and associates.
More accidents as tourism grows amid Kenya helicopter crash concerns
Multiple tour operators offer helicopter trips to remote destinations such as Mount Ololokwe. As Kenya’s tourism industry has expanded, the number of helicopter accidents has also risen, according to officials.
In February, a separate helicopter crash in the wilderness killed all six people on board, including a member of parliament, echoing other deadly incidents such as the M9 crash that left multiple dead.