A Cessna Citation 560 aircraft crashed on Thursday afternoon in Githurai, a densely populated suburb of Nairobi, causing at least six deaths, including two doctors, two nurses and two others on the ground, Kiambu County Commissioner, Henry Wafula, confirmed, reported by Citizen TV Kenya. He further said that those seriously injured were immediately referred to the hospital.
Kenya Defence Force on Site
The aircraft, suspected to be a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) helicopter, took off from Wilson Airport en route to Hargeisa before losing contact with air traffic control at around 12:17 PM. Videos circulating online show the aircraft engulfed in flames, with large crowds watching from a distance.
The crash occurred near a military base, prompting a swift response from KDF officers stationed nearby. Emergency services, including the police and military, were pressed into service and deployed fire engines to contain the blaze.
Githurai 45 Sub-County Police Commander Maurice Odanga said that aviation and security experts were at the scene conducting an initial investigation.
In a separate incident, Ghana’s defence and environment ministers were killed on Wednesday in a helicopter crash, just hours after the aircraft went missing.
The Ghanaian Armed Forces reported that the chopper, carrying three crew members and five passengers, went off radar shortly after 9:00 AM following takeoff from Accra en route to Obuasi.
President Mahama’s chief of staff, Julius Debrah, confirmed the deaths, saying, “The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country.” (HT Inputs)
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