An aircraft carrying foreign tourists crashed early Tuesday in Kwale County killing all 12 people onboard.
According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), the Cessna Caravan-type plane went down minutes after taking off from Diani Airstrip. It crashed in a hilly, forested area about 40 kilometers from the coastal town of Diani.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde confirmed that all passengers were foreign tourists. However, their nationalities are yet to be released. Rescue teams quickly reached the scene and found the aircraft completely burned.
Meanwhile, witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion before seeing smoke rising from the hills. When they arrived, they found the wreckage destroyed by fire, leaving the bodies unrecognizable.
The plane belonged to Mombasa Air Safari, which is now working with aviation authorities to investigate the crash. The company promised to share official updates through the civil aviation body.
At the same time, investigators are still determining how many of the 12 people were passengers and how many were crew. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
The aircraft was heading to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, one of Kenya’s leading tourist destinations. The reserve is world-famous for the annual wildebeest migration from Tanzania’s Serengeti. Sadly, this tragedy strikes as Kenya’s tourism sector continues to recover from recent global disruptions.
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