Ecuador intel chief and 5 Americans killed in Kenya tourist helicopter crash

The accident happened after the aircraft, with six tourists and a pilot on board, departed from the Loisaba wildlife reserve in Samburu county

A helicopter carrying six tourists and a pilot crashed on Wednesday in Kenya’s Samburu county, north of the capital, Nairobi, killing all those on board, authorities said.

The accident happened at 9.13am local time, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), after the aircraft departed from the Loisaba wildlife reserve.

“There were seven people on board the helicopter, one pilot and six passengers,” Fredrick Kabunge, director of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID), told Agence France-Presse, confirming that no one survived.

Earlier, an aviation source who sought anonymity confirmed the accident to Agence France-Presse, saying: “There are no survivors.”

In a video shared on social media, 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”.