Plane crash in Kenya: pilot and 10 European tourists killed

Ten European tourists and a local pilot died in a plane crash off the coast of Kenya, BBC reports, citing officials, UNN writes.

Details

The plane was flying from the popular beach resort of Diani to an airstrip in the world-famous Maasai Mara Reserve when it crashed at 05:30 local time (05:30 Kyiv time), the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said.

Mombasa Air Safari said there were eight Hungarians, two Germans and a Kenyan pilot on board the plane, all of whom died in the crash.

"Our main priority now is to provide all possible support to the families of those affected," the statement said.

Local media published photos of the plane with debris scattered at the crash site.

Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told the BBC that the plane crashed about 10 km from Kwale town after taking off from Diani.

It was heading to Kichwa Tembo, an airstrip in the Maasai Mara Reserve, popular with tourists for its wildlife.

"All the passengers were tourists," Orinde said.

He said the investigation into the cause of the crash was ongoing, but suggested that bad weather could have been a factor.

"The weather here is not very good right now. It has been raining and foggy since morning, but we cannot predict [the results of the investigation]," Orinde said.

Addition

In August, a light aircraft belonging to the medical charity Amref crashed on the outskirts of the capital Nairobi, killing six people and injuring two.