Kenya's Plane Bursts Into Flames While Flying, Crashes Near Nairobi Claiming Six Lives

Nairobi: A deadly medical plane crash in a residential area near Nairobi in Kenya has claimed six lives, including four passengers on board and two people on the ground. According to reports, the medical light aircraft, operated by AMREF Flying Doctors, was headed to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, when it went down shortly after takeoff from Wilson Airport on Thursday afternoon.

As per the foreign media reports, the locals in the area claimed that the plane started burning while still in the air. "The plane passed by our building shaking it," said Irene Wangui, a resident who witnessed the tragedy. Tasha Wanjira, another resident, recounted, “The plane started burning while in the air... it was a terrifying sight.” The plane crashed into a house in the Morendat Farm area on the northeastern side of Lake Naivasha, causing massive destruction.

The local authorities, including the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and emergency personnel, rushed to the scene. A helicopter was deployed to assist in the rescue efforts. KCAA confirmed that the aircraft departed at 2.14 pm local time and lost contact with air traffic control just three minutes later.

According to Kiambu County commissioner Henry Wafula, four people on the plane, including the pilot, lost their lives in the crash. Two people on the ground also died, and two others were seriously injured. "We have lost four people, including the pilot... it was all fatal," Wafula said. "The house that it landed on... two people again also died."

Kenya Red Cross teams were also quickly deployed to the site, where they worked to recover bodies from the wreckage. "We are now looking for bodies in the wreckage. So far, we have recovered four bodies," a Red Cross worker at the scene said. The rescue efforts were complicated by the severity of the crash, which left buildings completely destroyed in the vicinity of the impact.

The Amref Flying Doctors, whose plane was involved in the crash, released a statement expressing their shock and sadness. "One of our planes has been involved in a fatal accident today," said Stephen Gitau, CEO of Amref Flying Doctors. The organisation has pledged to cooperate fully with relevant aviation authorities and emergency response teams to establish the facts surrounding the situation.

An investigation is currently underway to ascertain the cause of the crash. The KCAA expressed deep sadness over the incident, saying, "We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident involving an air ambulance mission." AMREF Flying Doctors, a non-profit medical service organisation, also confirmed the aircraft was engaged in a humanitarian flight.

Further details regarding Kenya's plane crash are awaited.