Six people were killed Thursday after a small medical aircraft crashed into a building in a Kenyan neighborhood.
The accident happened near Mwihoko Secondary School in Utawala on the afternoon of Aug. 7, according to a statement from Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) director general Emile N. Arao.
The Cessna Citation 560 ambulance aircraft had taken off from Wilson Airport at about 2:15 p.m. local time, bound for Hargeisa, Somalia. Just three minutes after departure, the plane lost both radio and radar contact with Air Traffic Control, Arao said.
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According to The Kenya Times, the aircraft struck a building before erupting in flames.
All four people onboard were killed, along with two people on the ground who were reportedly inside a home that was hit by the plane, Reuters and Newsweek reported.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident involving an air ambulance mission,” Arao said. “Our immediate priority is to support rescue efforts and provide all necessary assistance to the families affected.”
The plane was operated by AMREF Flying Doctors, Reuters reported. AMREF said it is cooperating fully with authorities, according to Newsweek and Kenyan newspaper The Star.
Kenya CAA confirmed that an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.
