A light aircraft carrying 12 people, including foreign tourists, crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff from the Diani airstrip in Kenya’s coastal Kwale County on Tuesday morning.
According to CNN, officials said the Cessna Caravan aircraft, operated by Mombasa Air Safari, was en route to the world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve when it went down in a hilly, forested area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the airstrip.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told the Associated Press that all passengers onboard were believed to be foreign tourists. He said efforts were underway to confirm their nationalities and notify their embassies.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the aircraft had 12 occupants — passengers and crew — and that an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the crash.
Witnesses near the crash site said they heard a loud explosion moments after the plane took off. “When we arrived, the wreckage was in flames and the bodies were unrecognizable,” one local resident recounted.
In a statement, Mombasa Air Safari confirmed the incident and said it was cooperating fully with aviation and emergency authorities. “Further updates will be provided through official channels as more information becomes available,” the airline said.
The ill-fated flight was heading to the Maasai Mara, one of Africa’s most renowned wildlife reserves, popular among international tourists for its annual wildebeest migration from Tanzania’s Serengeti plains.
