Ecuador intelligence chief and five Americans killed in Kenya helicopter crash

A helicopter has crashed in central Kenya at Mount Ololokwe in Samburu county, killing all six people on board, air accident officials have told the BBC.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Department said the identities of those on board were yet to be confirmed. Local media is reporting that the helicopter was carrying tourists.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the accident happened at approximately 09:13 local time (06:13 GMT).

It said the helicopter was on a scenic flight from a wildlife conservancy in Losaiba to Ewaso Nyiro, a river that flows along several national reserves.

An image shared online shows smoke as the crash site at Mount Ololokwe.

The Kenya Red Cross has told the BBC that the area is not yet accessible, but drones are being used to assess the scene.

The KCAA said the accident involved a Eurocopter EC130 B4 and it said it was co-ordinating operations.

The transport ministry and Air Accident Investigations Department would lead "investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident", it added.

In February, a helicopter crash in the Rift Valley county of Nandi killed six people, including a member of parliament.

In 2024, the country military chief, Gen Francis Omondi Ogolla, died after a military helicopter that was carrying 11 people crashed in the west of the country, with only two survivors.

In June 2021 at least 10 soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed while landing near the capital, Nairobi.

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