Kenya safari helicopter crash kills seven, including five Americans

A safari helicopter crashed in northern Kenya, killing all seven people on board. The deaths, including five Americans, have triggered an investigation and consular response.Image used for representational purposes onlySeven people, including five Americans, were killed after a safari helicopter crashed in a remote part of northern Kenya on Wednesday morning, according to local police and the US State Department.The helicopter went down at 9:13 am while flying from Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said. It said there were seven people on board — six passengers and the pilot — and added that an investigation was under way.Late on Wednesday, Samburu police commander David Nkoroi told reporters that all seven people on board had died. In Washington, the State Department said five of those killed were US citizens. “The US Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance,” it said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss.”The identities of the victims were not officially released. However, a local television station in Miami, Florida, reported that one of those killed was Jos Surez, 55, president and general manager of several Telemundo stations in Florida. “We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that Jos was killed in a helicopter accident in Kenya,” the NBC affiliate in Miami quoted from a joint statement by NBC Universal and Telemundo leadership. Local media said the helicopter crashed in a rugged area in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination. The aircraft, owned by Lady Lori Helicopters, was carrying guests with travel company &Beyond. Lady Lori Helicopters said the aircraft was operating a charter flight when it crashed. Tropic Air Kenya said it sent two helicopters to help in search and rescue operations. The aviation authority identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter EC130 B4, while 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 take visitors to far-off 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 latest crash has killed all seven people on board and is now under investigation. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 20, 2026 00:34 IST