Smoke rises from the wreckage of a deadly plane crash in Kwale County, Kenya, that killed all 11 on board early Tuesday morning. Photo by Stringer/EPA
Oct. 28 (UPI) — A small airplane with 11 people on board crashed during a flight in Kenya early Tuesday with no survivors, Mombasa Air Safari officials announced.
The flight carried eight passengers from Hungary, two from Germany and its Kenyan pilot when it crashed for unknown reasons after taking flight from the coastal city of Diani Beach, the airline said.
“Sadly, there are no survivors,” Mombasa Air said in the statement.
“Our hearts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic event.”
Diani Beach is located due south of Mombasa on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast.
The aircraft crashed into a wooded hillside in Kwale County about 25 miles from Diani Beach, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.
“Government agencies are already on site to establish the cause of the accident and its impact,” the KCAA said.
The KCAA initially reported 12 died in the crash but has since revised that number to 11 to accurately reflect the number of passengers and crew on board.
The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft crashed at 8:35 a.m. local time while headed to an airstrip in Kwichwa Tembo near the Maasai Mara Natural Reserve, which is about 500 miles northwest of Diani Beach. Authorities initially reported that crash occurred at 5:30 a.m.
The aircraft had lost contact with the Mombasa International Airport control tower 10 minutes into its flight, Ministry of Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said in a statement.
The aircraft — which local media reported was built in 2007 and deemed reliable — was destroyed by the impact and ensuring fire, Chirchir said.
The pilot did not report to the Diani Beach airport air traffic controllers as required, which caused the flight to go missing for about 30 minutes before the crash site was located, according to Mombasa Air Safari officials.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash and found the plane’s wreckage and human remains at the crash site.
The reserve is adjacent to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and is renowned for its natural setting and wildlife, including wildebeests.
“The weather here is not very good at the moment,” Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told the BBC.
“Since early in the morning, it is raining and it is very misty,” he said.