At least eleven people, including ten foreign tourists, were killed early Tuesday when a small aircraft operated by Mombasa Air Safari crashed in Kwale County, Kenya, en route to the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Authorities confirmed that the victims included eight Hungarian nationals, two Germans, and a Kenyan pilot. The Cessna Caravan aircraft went down in a hilly, forested area about 40 kilometres from Diani airstrip, bursting into flames upon impact.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told the Associated Press that the crash occurred at around 5:30 a.m. local time amid heavy rainfall in the coastal region. He noted that the plane was completely burnt, and all occupants perished at the scene.
Mombasa Air Safari, in a statement, said the pilot failed to make contact after departure. Efforts by the Diani airstrip control tower to reach the aircraft lasted about 30 minutes before the wreckage was found. The airline did not disclose the exact time of take-off.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion before rushing to the scene, where they found the wreckage engulfed in flames and the remains of victims unrecognisable.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) initially reported that twelve people were on board, but later confirmed the total fatalities as eleven. Investigating agencies have since begun probing the cause of the crash.
The ill-fated flight was bound for the Maasai Mara National Reserve, one of Kenya’s top tourist attractions famous for the annual wildebeest migration from Tanzania’s Serengeti. Diani, the aircraft’s departure point, is a renowned coastal resort known for its pristine white sand beaches along the Indian Ocean.
Kenya’s aviation safety standards have faced scrutiny in recent years. According to the most recent International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit from 2018, the country scored below the global average in accident investigation capability.
As investigations continue, the tragedy has cast a shadow over Kenya’s tourism sector, which draws thousands of visitors each year to its beaches and wildlife reserves.
Melissa Enoch
