Kenyan authorities have confirmed that all passengers on board a small aircraft en route to the Maasai Mara National Reserve were killed when the plane crashed early Tuesday morning.
The aircraft went down in a remote, forested area roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Diani airstrip at around 5:30 a.m. local time (2:30 a.m. GMT). Local officials said emergency and recovery operations were still underway at the crash site.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told The Associated Press that teams were working to secure the wreckage and gather information about the cause of the crash.
Initial reports from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority indicated that 12 people were on board, but a later update confirmed 10 passengers, eight from Hungary and two from Germany, along with one Kenyan crew member, believed to be the captain.
In a statement, the airline Mombasa Air Safari confirmed the devastating loss, saying, “Sadly, there are no survivors (…) We are profoundly saddened to report that, according to preliminary information, there were 10 passengers being 8 Hungarians and 2 Germans and 1 Kenyan crew member (the Captain) on board.”
Government agencies, including aviation and disaster response units, are investigating the cause of the accident.
The Maasai Mara, one of Kenya’s most iconic safari destinations, attracts thousands of tourists each year, particularly during the annual wildebeest migration.
