Kenya plane crashes kills Hungarian and German tourists and local pilot
10 European tourists and a local pilot died in a plane crash near the Kenyan coast, officials said.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the plane crashed at 05:30 local time (02:30 GMT) while flying from the popular seaside resort of Diani towards a runway in the world-famous Masai Mara game park.
Mombasa Air Safari said the plane was carrying eight Hungarian, two German and one Kenyan pilots who died in the crash.
“Our primary focus at this time is to provide all possible support to affected families,” he added in a statement.
Images of the plane in flames and pieces of debris at the crash site were published in the local media.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told the BBC that the plane crashed about 10 km (six miles) from Kwale town after leaving Diani.
He was heading to Kichwa Tembo, an airstrip in the Masai Mara. It is a favorite among holidaymakers due to its wildlife.
“The passengers were all tourists,” Orinde said.
He stated that the investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing, but that it may have been caused by bad weather conditions.
“The weather here is not very good right now. It has been raining since the early hours of the morning and it is very foggy, but we cannot take precautions. [the findings]” said Orinde.
In August, six people died and two were injured when a light plane belonging to the Amref medical charity crashed on the outskirts of the capital Nairobi.
