Seven people, including five US citizens and Ecuador’s intelligence chief, have died after a tourist helicopter crashed in Kenya’s Samburu County on Wednesday.
The helicopter was reportedly travelling to the Loisaba Conservancy, a wildlife reserve and safari destination in northern Kenya, when it crashed, according to a preliminary report from the Archers Post police station.
Authorities confirmed that all seven people on board, including six passengers and the pilot, were killed.
The US State Department said five Americans were among those who died in the crash. Ecuador’s presidential office also confirmed the deaths of intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife, Stephany Hollihan, who was a US citizen.
“The US Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance,” the State Department said.
A preliminary police report identified Sensi-Contugi and his wife as tourists travelling on the helicopter.
Luxury tour operator &Beyond, which provided the excursion, said the cause of the crash had not yet been established.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Red Cross said recovery operations were being complicated by the rugged terrain and a fire at the crash site.
Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.