Tragic Aviation Incident Claims Six Lives in Nairobi

A small medical plane crash in Nairobi on Thursday resulted in six fatalities, including medical staff, as investigations begin into the circumstances that led to the disaster.

Six lives were lost in a heartbreaking aviation tragedy in Nairobi, Kenya, when a light aircraft belonging to the medical charity Amref Flying Doctors crashed shortly after takeoff. The Cessna plane departed from Wilson Airport, bound for Hargeisa, Somalia, but tragically came down in the Githurai area of the city, impacting a residential building and igniting a fire upon landing. According to local authorities, Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula reported that among the deceased were four individuals on the plane, which included doctors and nurses, as well as two people on the ground. Additionally, two others sustained severe injuries from the incident.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority noted that the aircraft lost radio and radar contact with air traffic control just three minutes post-departure, raising serious concerns about the circumstances of the crash. Amref's CEO Stephen Gitau expressed the charity's commitment to cooperating fully with aviation authorities and emergency response teams as investigations unfold.

Witness Patricia Kombo recounted the horrifying moment she witnessed the crash, describing a loud explosion followed by a red flash and thick smoke emerging from the site, prompting her group to end their trip as chaos erupted in the area. The Kenya Defence Forces and National Police Service have initiated search and recovery operations at the crash site.

In an unrelated incident, a collision between a train and a bus near Naivasha resulted in at least four fatalities, with Red Cross sources confirming that the bus was transporting employees of the Kenya Pipeline Company. All injured passengers have since been taken to medical facilities for treatment. The string of recent accidents highlights ongoing concerns regarding safety in Kenya's transportation sector.