Five Americans killed in fiery Kenya helicopter crash during trip with luxury tour agency

Five Americans were killed in a helicopter crash near the foothills of a mountain in northern Kenya on Wednesday, officials said.

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The five tourists were traveling with two others inside the chopper at around 9:13 a.m. local time when it went down near Mount Ololokwe, in Samburu County, Kenya’s Civil Aviation Authority said.

The nationalities of the Americans on board were confirmed by a US State Department spokesperson, who told NBC News, “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss.”

The US Embassy has made contact with local authorities and is providing consular assistance, the outlet reported. 

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

“Our deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident,” Lady Lori Helicopters, which operated the flight, said in a statement.  

The company said it was operating a charter flight from the Suyian Conservancy to Mount Ololokwe when the crash occurred. 

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Luxury tour agency &Beyond confirmed that the chopper was carrying its guests.

The helicopter went down while heading toward the Ewaso ⁠Nyiro river, which flows through the Samburu ⁠National Reserve, a KCAA spokesperson said. 

Kenya’s Red Cross said the search and recovery efforts have run into difficulty due to treacherous mountain terrain and a fire that erupted at the site of the crash. 

Kenya’s Samburu County is a go-to tourist destination filled with wildlife conservancies, with Mount Ololokwe standing as a popular hiking site.   

Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in Kenya, with one chopper going down in February over Nandi, killing six people aboard, including a member of parliament.  

Four American tourists also died on a sightseeing flight that crashed just moments after taking off from Lake Turkana’s Central Island National Park in 2019. 

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With Post wires