The aircraft had taken off from the capital Nairobi’s Wilson Airport and was destined for Somaliland.
An air ambulance has crashed right into a residential space close to the Kenyan capital Nairobi, killing no less than six individuals and injuring two others, in keeping with an area official.
The mid-size jet took off from Wilson Airport at 2:17pm native time (11:17 GMT) on Thursday and was en path to Somaliland when it got here down in Ruiru, Kiambu County, shortly after 3:00pm (12:00 GMT).
“We’ve misplaced 4 individuals, together with the pilot … it was all deadly,” mentioned Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula.
“The home that it landed on … two individuals once more additionally died,” he mentioned, including that two individuals on the bottom had been “significantly injured”.
Pictures taken by reporters from the AFP information company on the scene confirmed enormous crowds had gathered, as rescue groups from the Kenya Crimson Cross and first responders picked by way of the scattered particles.
“The aircraft began burning whereas within the air,” resident Tasha Wanjira informed AFP, earlier than it hurtled down into the small group.
One other resident, Irene Wangui, described how the “aircraft handed by our constructing shaking it”, and mentioned when the plane got here down, “there have been physique components littered throughout.”
As nightfall fell, a whole lot remained to look at the rescue employees, with residents sobbing as they have been comforted by neighbours.
“I’ve misplaced all the pieces, thank God my kids have been not round,” Margaret Wairimu informed AFP, weeping over her destroyed dwelling.
The CEO of the charity Amref Flying Medical doctors, Stephen Gitau, confirmed considered one of their aeroplanes, a Cessna Quotation XLS, had been “concerned in a deadly accident at present”, however didn’t present any additional particulars.
Gitau mentioned the corporate was specializing in “the security and well-being of these on board” and mentioned that additional info could be supplied “as it’s confirmed”.
Amref launched a press release saying that it was “cooperating absolutely with related aviation authorities and emergency response groups to ascertain the details surrounding the state of affairs”.
Based mostly in Nairobi, Amref was based in 1957 because the Flying Medical doctors of East Africa.