A medical light aircraft crashed into a residential area near Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Thursday, killing at least six people and seriously injuring two others.
The tragic incident occurred in Ruiru, Kiambu County, shortly after 3:00 pm local time (1200 GMT).
The ill-fated plane had taken off from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport at 2:17 pm (1100 GMT) en route to Somaliland when it went down. Kiambu County commissioner Henry Wafula confirmed the casualties, stating: “We have lost four people, including the pilot. It was all fatal.”
Wafula added that two residents on the ground also perished in the crash. “Another two had been seriously injured,” he said. Emergency responders rushed to the scene to assist victims and secure the crash site.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, which marks another tragic incident in Kenya’s aviation sector. The small residential block sustained significant damage from the impact, with debris scattered across the neighborhood.
Local officials expressed condolences to the families of the victims as recovery efforts continued at the crash site. The identities of the deceased have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. Aviation regulators are expected to conduct a full review of the aircraft’s maintenance records and flight data.
