A medical light aircraft crashed into a residential block in Ruiru, Kiambu County, near Nairobi, on Thursday, killing at least six people and seriously injuring two, local officials confirmed.
The Cessna Citation XLS, operated by Amref Flying Doctors, took off from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport at 2:17 pm local time (1100 GMT) bound for Somaliland but came down less than an hour later.
“We have lost four people, including the pilot… it was all fatal,” said Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula, adding that two others died in the house the plane struck. Two people on the ground sustained severe injuries.
Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft ablaze mid-air before it plummeted into the neighbourhood. “The plane passed by our building shaking it… there were body parts littered all over,” resident Irene Wangui said.
Amref CEO Stephen Gitau confirmed the crash, saying the organisation was prioritising “the safety and well-being of those on board” and would release further details once confirmed.
The crash came a day after a Ghanaian military helicopter accident claimed eight lives, including those of the country’s defence and environment ministers.
Founded in 1957, Amref Flying Doctors is one of East Africa’s oldest and most prominent air ambulance services.
