A medical light aircraft crashed into a small residential block in Ruiru, Kiambu County, near Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday, killing at least six people and leaving two others seriously injured.
The tragedy came just a day after Ghana suffered a deadly military helicopter crash that killed eight, including the country’s defence and environment ministers.
The Cessna Citation XLS, operated by Amref Flying Doctors, took off from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport at 2:17 pm local time (1100 GMT) and was en route to Somaliland. The plane went down shortly after 3:00 pm (1200 GMT), bursting into flames before crashing into the residential area.
Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula confirmed that four people on board, including the pilot, died instantly, along with two residents of the house it struck. Two others on the ground sustained serious injuries.
“The plane started burning while in the air,” resident Tasha Wanjira told AFP. Another witness, Irene Wangui, said the aircraft “passed by our building shaking it” before crashing. “There were body parts littered all over,” she added.
Margaret Wairimu, whose home was destroyed, said she had “lost everything” but was grateful her children were not home at the time.
Stephen Gitau, CEO of Amref Flying Doctors, confirmed one of their planes was involved in the crash but did not provide further details, saying the organisation was prioritising “the safety and well-being of those on board.”
Founded in 1957 as the Flying Doctors of East Africa, Amref is a leading air ambulance service based in Nairobi.
Images from the scene showed large crowds gathered as rescuers and first responders worked through the scattered debris, with shocked residents being comforted by neighbours.
Stay tuned to 9am News Nigeria for more Breaking News, Business News, Sports updates And Entertainment Gists.
