They were supposed to see one of the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth — but just minutes after takeoff, something went terribly wrong. Witnesses say they heard a deafening bang, followed by a burst of fire in the distance. When rescuers reached the scene, nothing but twisted metal and ash remained.
Authorities confirmed that all 11 people on board the small aircraft lost their lives. The passengers were foreign tourists — ten of them from Europe — and the pilot, a local captain, was among the victims.
Only later did officials reveal where the tragedy had struck: it happened along the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya, near a quiet town called Kwale.
The airline operating the flight said it was en route from the coastal area of Diani to the world-famous Maasai Mara national reserve. “Sadly, there are no survivors,” the company said in a statement, adding that support is being provided to the families of the victims.
Local television reported that the remains of those on board were burned beyond recognition. Emergency responders and forensic teams spent hours at the crash site, trying to determine what went wrong.
Officials suspect that poor visibility and heavy rain may have played a role — weather that had been worsening for days due to a storm system named Chenge.
Just two months earlier, another aircraft had gone down near Nairobi, killing six. Now, the country faces yet another devastating loss in its skies.
