Officials in Kenya says a small plane crashes in the coastal region of Kwale, with 12 people feared dead[1].
The small plane crashed earlier today while it was heading toward the Maasai Mara National Reserve[2]. The crash is understood to have happened in a hilly region about 25 miles from Diani airstrip, authorities said.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told The Associated Press that the passengers were “all foreign tourists” and their nationalities would be confirmed later. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said an investigation had been launched into the cause of the crash.
AP)
The exact number of who is crew and who is passenger is not known at this time. The aircraft is understood to have crashed just minutes into its flight and burst into flames, leaving a charred wreckage at the scene, officials said.
Witnesses told the AP they heard a loud bang, and on arriving at the scene they found unrecognizable human remains. The airline, Mombasa Air Safari, told the AP that it was collaborating with the civil aviation body and updates on the crash would be shared throughout the authority.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a popular tourist destination and features the annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania.
References
- ^ 12 people feared dead (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ the Maasai Mara National Reserve (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Passengers ‘burn alive’ as coach erupts in fireball after crash with motorbike (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Plane turns around after pilot ‘thought passengers were trying to access cockpit’ (www.mirror.co.uk)