A small aircraft ferrying foreign tourists crashed early Tuesday in Kenya’s coastal Kwale region while heading to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Authorities fear all 12 passengers on board have died.
The crash occurred in a rugged, forested area approximately 40 kilometers from Diani airstrip.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde confirmed to The Associated Press
that the victims were foreign tourists, with their nationalities yet to be officially verified.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said that 12 people were onboard the Cessna Caravan-type aircraft, and authorities were investigating the cause of the crash. The breakdown of how many were passengers and crew wasn’t immediately clear.
The aircraft crashed minutes after takeoff and burst into flames leaving a charred wreckage at the scene, officials said.
Witnesses told the AP that they heard a loud bang, and on arriving at the scene they found unrecognizable human remains.
The airline, Mombasa Air Safari, told the AP that it was collaborating with the civil aviation body and updates on the crash would be shared though the authority.
Maasai Mara National Reserve is a popular tourist destination and features the annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania.
0 comments:
Post a Comment