Six people were killed on Thursday when an AMREF Flying Doctors air-ambulance plunged into the crowded Githurai neighborhood shortly after take-off from Wilson Airport, Kenyan officials said.
The Cessna, bound for Hargeisa in Somaliland, disappeared from radar three minutes after its 2:14 p.m. (1114 GMT) departure. Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula confirmed that all four people aboard — a pilot, copilot and two medical staff — died, along with two residents struck by the wreckage.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident involving an air-ambulance mission,” the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said, adding that investigators are examining flight-data and maintenance records.
Witnesses reported a sudden roar followed by a fireball as the aircraft sliced through tin rooftops and ignited nearby structures. Videos circulating on social media show firefighters battling flames amid twisted metal and scattered medical supplies.
Light-aircraft accidents remain frequent in eastern Africa. In April 2024, Kenya’s military chief and nine others died when their helicopter crashed minutes after lift-off. An official inquiry into Thursday’s crash is under way.