Six tourists and pilot killed in Kenya helicopter crash

Six tourists and a pilot have died after a Eurocopter EC130 B4 crashed at Mount Ololokwe in central Kenya, officials said.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Department confirmed that the pilot and passengers’ nationalities are still being verified. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the helicopter was on a scenic tour from the Loisaba wildlife conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro River when it crashed at about 09:13 local time (06:13 GMT) in Samburu county.

A drone was deployed to inspect the site, where smoke was visible in images shared online. The KCAA identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter EC130 B4 and is coordinating all investigative efforts jointly with the transport ministry.

Samburu County, known for its private conservancies and spectacular scenery, has previously seen several helicopter accidents. In February, a flight in Nandi killed six people, including a member of parliament. In 2024, an army helicopter that carried 11 personnel crashed in western Kenya, killing the military chief Gen Francis Omondi Ogolla; only two survived. In June 2021, a helicopter crash near Nairobi killed at least ten soldiers.

The accident is part of a growing concern about aviation safety in Kenya’s often challenging flight conditions.