Safari Helicopter Crash in Northern Kenya Kills Seven, Including Five Americans

A safari helicopter crashed on Wednesday morning in a remote part of northern Kenya, killing all seven people on board. Local police and the U.S. State Department have confirmed that five of the victims were American citizens.

The aircraft went down in rugged terrain at the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a well-known tourist attraction in Samburu County. The helicopter was on a charter flight from the Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area when the accident occurred.

Jaycob Lekoriani, a villager who witnessed the crash, described the scene: "I witnessed this incident from the start. From when the chopper went down from the top of the hill, to when it tumbled down up to here." He added that he and other villagers rushed to the site to help, but "we got here when people had died."

Another resident, Tituz Leadekei, noted the rarity of such an event in the area. "This mountain attracts a lot of tourists and we have never seen any scene of an aircraft crashing," he said. "This aircraft crashed at a very remote area that is bushy and at the foot of the mountain. It is far from the people's settlements."

The helicopter, a Eurocopter EC130 B4, was operated by Lady Lori Helicopters, a local company. The firm confirmed the aircraft was carrying guests of the travel company &Beyond on a charter flight. Tropic Air Kenya, another safari operator, said it dispatched two helicopters to assist with search and rescue operations.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. The incident has cast a shadow over the local community, which relies heavily on tourism. "Tourists like coming to see wildlife and the culture here," said resident Alfred Lesurkukua. "Something like this has never happened. We are not happy about it."

Helicopter accidents have become increasingly frequent in Kenya, where the tourism industry depends on domestic carriers to transport visitors to remote destinations. In February, a legislator was among six people killed in a helicopter crash in the western part of the country.