Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Seven people died when a safari helicopter crashed on Wednesday morning in a remote part of northern Kenya, local police said. The helicopter was carrying six passengers and a pilot.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter crashed at 9.13 am while flying from Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County. It said an investigation into the crash was under way.
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Later in the day, Samburu police commander David Nkoroi told reporters that all seven people on board had died. The identities of the victims were not disclosed.
Local media said the helicopter came down in a rugged area in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination in Kenya. The aircraft was owned by local company Lady Lori Helicopters and was carrying guests with travel company Beyond. Lady Lori Helicopters said in a statement that the aircraft was operating a charter flight when it crashed.
Tropic Air Kenya, a local safari operator, said it had sent two of its helicopters to support search and rescue efforts. The aviation authority identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter EC130 B4.
The Kenya Red Cross said its emergency response teams were “participating in a multiagency response effort as rescue teams work to access the crash site”.
Helicopter crashes have occurred with increasing regularity in Kenya, where the tourism industry relies on domestic carriers to fly visitors to far-flung destinations such as Mount Ololokwe. In February, a legislator was among six people killed in a helicopter crash in a hilly area of western Kenya.
The crash in Samburu County killed all seven people on board, and authorities said an investigation was under way as rescue teams worked to reach the site.
With PTI Inputs
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
