Five Americans and the Director General of Ecuador’s intelligence agency were killed in a helicopter crash in Kenya on Wednesday, August 19.
Seven people were aboard the aircraft when it crashed on Wednesday morning near Mount Ololokwe in central Kenya, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
The helicopter was carrying guests booked through the luxury tour agency &Beyond, according to operator Lady Lori Helicopters. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Michele Sensi-Contugi, the Director General of Ecuador’s intelligence agency, and his wife, fashion designer Stephany Sensi, died in the crash, according to Ecuadorian state media.
US Spanish-language television network Telemundo confirmed that its executive, José Suárez, was also among the victims.
Ecuador’s presidential office expressed condolences to Sensi-Contugi’s family in an official statement on Wednesday afternoon.
“The US Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said, confirming the deaths of the five American citizens. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss.”
Video footage circulating on social media showed smoke rising from the terrain near the base of the mountain where the aircraft went down.
The Kenya Red Cross reported that search and recovery operations were underway, though efforts were complicated by difficult terrain and an active fire at the crash site. Additional emergency teams were dispatched from Isiolo to reinforce the recovery operation.
The aircraft, a Eurocopter EC130 B4, was en route from the Loisaba Wildlife Conservancy to the Ewaso Ngiro River when the incident occurred, civil aviation officials confirmed.
The single-engine helicopter, developed by Eurocopter and produced by Airbus Helicopters, has a maximum speed of approximately 178 mph (286 km/h) and typically accommodates five to seven passengers alongside one pilot.
Kenya’s Ministry of Transport has launched an official investigation into the cause of the crash.