A medical air ambulance operated by AMREF Flying Doctors crashed shortly after takeoff near Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, killing all on board and two bystanders on the ground, officials confirmed.
The Cessna Citation XLS jet, en route to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, went down in a residential area of Kiambu County, erupting into flames upon impact. Witnesses reported a loud explosion before discovering the wreckage engulfed in fire.
Tragic Loss of Medical Personnel
County authorities confirmed that the fatalities included two doctors and two nurses who were part of the medical transport team, along with the flight crew. Two civilians at the crash site also died. AMREF Flying Doctors, a leading air ambulance service in Africa, stated the aircraft had departed from Wilson Airport in Nairobi at 2:17 p.m. local time before crashing in Mwihoko.
“We heard a blast while at the taxi stage,” said a witness. “By the time we arrived, there was a huge flame—we couldn’t even get close.”
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. AMREF has not yet released further details but expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
Separate Train-Bus Collision Claims 8 Lives
In unrelated tragedy, eight people died in western Kenya when a train collided with a bus, injuring multiple others. Authorities are probing both incidents.
This marks one of Kenya’s deadliest aviation accidents in recent years, raising concerns over air safety in the region.
