KWALE, Kenya – Eleven people have died after a small aircraft crashed on Tuesday morning in Kenya’s coastal region while traveling from a popular tourist destination to the world-renowned Maasai Mara National Park.
The aircraft, operated by Mombasa Air Services and bearing registration number 5Y-CCA, went down at approximately 05:30 this morning in the Tsimba Golini area of Kwale County. The plane had departed from Diani airport and was bound for Kichwa Tembo, a private airstrip located within the Maasai Mara National Park.
Mombasa Air Safari chairman John Cleave confirmed the accident, and said there were 10 passengers onboard – eight Hungarians, two Germans – and a Kenyan captain.
“Sadly, there are no survivors,” he said in a statement, citing preliminary information, adding that they had “activated our emergency response team” and were cooperating with local authorities.
Government agencies have already deployed to the crash site to investigate the cause of the accident and assess its impact, according to KCAA officials. The authority provided no immediate details about the identities of those aboard or the specific circumstances leading to the crash.
Mombasa Air Services operates regular flights connecting Mombasa and other popular tourist destinations across Kenya, serving the country’s vital tourism industry. The route between Diani, a renowned beach resort area, and the Maasai Mara is particularly popular with tourists seeking to combine coastal relaxation with safari experiences.
The crash site in Kwale County is characterised by hilly terrain, where aviation experts note that such accidents occur with concerning frequency due to the challenging topographical conditions.
Tuesday’s tragedy marks the second significant aviation incident in Kenya in recent months. In August, a light aircraft belonging to medical NGO Amref crashed on the outskirts of Nairobi, resulting in six fatalities and two injuries.
Kenya’s aviation sector serves as a crucial link for the country’s tourism industry, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to destinations such as the Maasai Mara, known for its abundant wildlife and the annual wildebeest migration.
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