Ecuadorian intelligence chief and five US citizens killed in helicopter crash in Kenya

Ecuador's intelligence chief and his wife, as well as five US citizens, were killed in a helicopter crash in Kenya on Wednesday.

The crash occurred at 09:13 am local time (06:13 GMT). All those on board the helicopter were killed - the head of Ecuadorian intelligence Michele Sensi-Contugui, his wife Stephanie Hollihan and five other people.

The fact that the other five were Americans was confirmed by the press service of the US State Department. Their names have not yet been made public.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, KCAA, said the helicopter was flying from the Loysaba Game Reserve in the center of the country to the Ewaso Nyiro River, which flows through several national game reserves.

The helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination in the heart of Kenya. Samburu District, where it is located, is a generally popular region among tourists with many private game reserves and beautiful scenery.

The helicopter's operator, Lady Lori Helicopters, said the helicopter was leased to tourist clients of &Beyond.

Michele Sensi-Contugui, 44, has been appointed director general of Ecuador's Strategic Intelligence Center in 2024.

After the crash, photographs appeared on the Internet showing a column of smoke near Mount Ololokwe.

The Kenyan Red Cross told the BBC that the helicopter crashed in an inaccessible area and the crash site was initially surveyed using drones.

According to KCAA, the helicopter that crashed was a European Eurocopter EC130 B4. The agency said that the Ministry of Transport and the Air Accident Investigation Department will investigate the crash.

Helicopter accidents occur quite frequently in Kenya. Most recently, in February, six people, including a member of parliament, were killed in a helicopter crash.

In 2024, the commander of the Kenyan army, General Francis Omondi Ogolla, died in a helicopter crash. There were 11 people on board, only two survived.

In June 2021, 10 soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash near Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.