Kenya tourist helicopter crash kills 7
All seven people - six passengers and one pilot - were killed, authorities said.
Seven people lost their lives in a helicopter crash in Kenya's Samburu county on Wednesday, including five Americans and the head of Ecuador's intelligence, according to a preliminary report from Archers Post police station. The aircraft was en route to the Loisaba Conservancy, a popular wildlife reserve and safari destination in northern Kenya, when it crashed, Reuters reported.
All seven victims – consisting of six passengers and one pilot – perished in the accident. The US State Department confirmed that among the fatalities were five Americans, while Ecuador's presidential office confirmed that intelligence head Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan, a US citizen, were also among the casualties.
The US Embassy is currently coordinating with local authorities and offering consular assistance, the State Department announced. However, the exact cause of the crash remains unknown at this stage. Luxury tour agency &Beyond, which arranged the excursion for the tourists, stated that the cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
Search and recovery efforts were complicated by the challenging terrain and a fire at the crash site, as reported by the Kenya Red Cross.
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