All 11 aboard killed as aircraft crashes in Kenya

A small aircraft traveling from Kenya’s coast to the Maasai Mara National Park crashed early Tuesday, killing all 11 people on board, most of them foreign nationals, according to the airline.

The Mombasa Air Safari plane was en route from the tourist resort town of Diani to Kichwa Tembo airstrip when it went down around 5:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT).

John Cleave, chairman of Mombasa Air Safari, confirmed the crash and said the aircraft was carrying 10 passengers eight Hungarians and two Germans along with a Kenyan pilot.

“Tragically, there are no survivors,” Cleave said in a statement, citing preliminary reports. He added that the airline had activated its emergency response team and was working closely with local authorities.

“Our hearts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic event,” the statement added.

An earlier update from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) reported that 12 people had been aboard the aircraft, though it did not provide further details.

The KCAA said government agencies were already at the scene to determine the cause of the crash.

Images and videos shared by local media showed the burnt wreckage of the plane amid dense forest and scrubland, with soldiers and officials inspecting debris as rain fell over the site.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his “sincere condolences” to the victims’ families, saying his government was in contact with Kenyan authorities regarding the “tragedy.”

In a separate incident in August, a light aircraft operated by the medical NGO Amref crashed near Nairobi, killing six people and injuring two others.

— AFP