Tragic Plane Crash Claims Six Lives in Nairobi

A small aircraft operated by Amref Flying Doctors crashed shortly after takeoff in Nairobi, leaving six individuals dead, including medical staff.

Six people lost their lives in a devastating aviation disaster in Nairobi when a light aircraft belonging to the charity Amref Flying Doctors plummeted into a residential area. The Cessna plane, which was headed to Hargeisa in Somalia, departed from Wilson Airport just before the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon. According to Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula, the crash resulted in the deaths of four crew members, including doctors and nurses, along with two individuals on the ground. Additionally, two others sustained severe injuries.

Investigators have been dispatched to the scene to determine the cause of the crash, which reportedly lost contact with air traffic control just three minutes into its flight. Amref's CEO, Stephen Gitau, confirmed that the charity is fully cooperating with aviation authorities and emergency response teams as they seek to gather information about the incident.

Patricia Kombo, an eyewitness, described hearing a loud bang followed by a brilliant flash. She stated, "Before I could take my phone to record the flash, it was gone, and smoke was billowing..." The crash has prompted a substantial response from the Kenya Defence Forces and the National Police Service, who are conducting search and recovery efforts. In an unrelated incident near Naivasha, a bus collided with a train at a railway crossing, resulting in at least four fatalities, further illustrating the dangers present on Kenya's roads and skies.