Eleven killed in Kenya plane crash near Maasai Mara National Reserve

A light plane crash has killed 11 people, mostly foreign tourists, in Kenya’s coastal region of Kwale while flying to Maasai Mara National Reserve.

The airline, Mombasa Air Safari, said in a statement Tuesday that eight Hungarian and two German passengers were on board, along with the Kenyan pilot, who also died in the crash.

“Sadly, there are no survivors,” the airline added, noting that there was heavy rain in coastal Kenya that morning.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the accident occurred at Kwale, near the Indian Ocean coast, at about 8:30 a.m. (05:30 GMT). A regional police commander told public broadcaster Kenya Broadcasting Corporation that all passengers were tourists.

Citizen TV reported that the bodies of those on board had been burned beyond recognition. The plane crashed in a hilly and forested area about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Diani airstrip.

The aircraft burst into flames upon impact, leaving a charred wreckage at the scene, officials said. Witnesses told The Associated Press they heard a loud bang and found human remains when they arrived.

Investigating agencies are looking into the cause of the crash, Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told The AP.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve, located west of the coastline and about a two-hour direct flight from Diani, attracts a large number of tourists, especially for the annual wildebeest migration from Tanzania’s Serengeti.

Credit: Aljazeera