A domestic flight carrying tourists to one of Kenya’s most famous wildlife reserves crashed early Tuesday morning in the coastal region of Kwale, with all 12 people on board feared dead.
The accident occurred around 5:30 a.m. local time amid heavy rain. The Mombasa Air Safari flight was en route from Diani Airstrip to the Maasai Mara National Reserve when it went down in a hilly, forested area.
According to officials, the aircraft was carrying ten foreign passengers and two Kenyan crew members. The passenger manifest included eight Hungarian and two German nationals. The pilot did not make any contact with air traffic control after takeoff, prompting search efforts.
The wreckage of the aircraft was later located in the Chad rake area. Witnesses at the scene reported hearing a loud explosion around the time of the crash.
The cause of the accident is now under investigation. The incident has drawn attention to aviation safety standards in the country, following a 2018 international audit that found Kenya’s accident investigation capabilities to be below the global average.
Emergency crews and investigators are currently at the crash site as recovery efforts and the official investigation begin.
