Safari helicopter crash in northern Kenya kills seven, including five Americans
Seven people, including five Americans, were killed when a safari helicopter crashed on Wednesday morning, Aug 19 in a remote part of northern Kenya, according to local police and the US State Department.
The helicopter crashed at 9:13 am while flying from Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, which said an investigation was under way. It said seven people were on board — six passengers and the pilot.
Late on Wednesday, David Nkoroi, the police commander for Samburu, told reporters all seven on board had died.
In Washington, the State Department said five of those killed were US citizens. "The US Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance," it said. "We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss."
The identities of the victims were not officially released, but a local television station in Miami, Florida, reported that one of those killed was an executive with Telemundo, the US-based Spanish-language network owned by NBC Universal. It identified him as José Suárez, 55, president and general manager of several Telemundo stations in Florida. "We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that José was killed in a helicopter accident in Kenya," the NBC affiliate in Miami quoted from a joint statement by NBC Universal and Telemundo leadership.
The helicopter crashed in a rugged area in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination, local media reported. The aircraft, owned by local company Lady Lori Helicopters, was carrying guests of travel company &Beyond. Lady Lori Helicopters said in a statement the aircraft was operating a charter flight when it crashed.
Tropic Air Kenya, a local safari operator, said it had dispatched two of its own helicopters to assist search and rescue operations. The aviation authority said the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4.
The Kenya Red Cross said its emergency response teams were "participating in a multiagency response effort as rescue teams work to access the crash site."
Helicopter crashes have occurred with increasing regularity in Kenya, whose vibrant tourism industry relies on domestic carriers to ferry visitors to remote destinations such as Mount Ololokwe. In February, a legislator was among six people killed in a helicopter crash in a hilly area of western Kenya.
