At least 12 people were killed on Tuesday morning after a light aircraft crashed in the Tsimba Golini area of Kwale County in Kenya.
Local witnesses and police said that everyone on board the plane died in the crash. Police said the victims are believed to be tourists.
The aircraft, a caravan plane operated by Mombasa Air Services, had taken off from Diani Airport and was headed to Kichwa Tembo, a popular tourist destination. It went down shortly after departure. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
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Emergency crews and police officers arrived at the scene soon after the incident. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed the crash and said investigations are underway.
KCAA Director-General Emile Arao said the aircraft, registration number 5Y-CCA, crashed at about 5:30 a.m. while flying from Diani to Kichwa Tembo.
“The aircraft had 12 persons on board. Government agencies are already on site to establish the cause of the accident and its impact,” Arao said.
Mombasa Air Services operates flights between the coastal city of Mombasa and several safari and tourist destinations across Kenya.
Experts are now examining the wreckage to determine what may have caused the fatal crash. The region is known to have hilly terrain, and similar accidents have been reported in the past.
