Nairobi, 20 August 2026: Safari helicopter crash in Kenya A helicopter carrying tourists crashed in Samburu County in central Kenya. All seven people on board died in this accident. The dead included the head of Ecuador's National Intelligence Center, Michel Sensi-Contugi, his wife and five American citizens.
According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), the incident occurred in Samburu County, north of the capital Nairobi. The accident occurred at 09:13 am local time, when the plane took off from Loisaba Wildlife Reserve. Relief and rescue operations were delayed due to bad weather and darkness.
Delay in relief and rescue operations due to darkness
Pictures shared by the Kenya Red Cross on 'X' this afternoon showed the crash site engulfed in flames. The Red Cross said that rescue operations were being hampered due to inaccessible terrain.
According to Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) controller Frederick Kabungay, the helicopter was carrying a pilot and six passengers and no one survived.
“Due to the darkness and difficult conditions at the accident site, the operation has been postponed until tomorrow,” Samburu County police chief David Nakoroi said.
Death of five American citizens
A US State Department spokesperson said that five American citizens had died in the accident, but did not disclose their identities. However, Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo announced that a senior manager based in Florida, Jose Alberto Suarez, had died in the accident.
Ecuador's Transport Minister Roberto Luque said the dead included intelligence chief Michel Sensi-Contughi and his wife. Luke wrote on
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