Five Kenyan Senior Military Officers Die As Helicopter Crashes
SEVERAL senior Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers have been involved in a chopper accident while on a tour in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Preliminary reports indicated that the Kenya Airforce chopper crashed earlier today (18 April 2024) while it was taking off and had nine persons on board.
Police reported that the area has since been cordoned off as rescue missions were launched. A Police report by Elgeyo Marakwet County Commandant Peter Mulinge confirmed the incident indicating that five occupants died in the crash while three survived.
Photos seen by The Kenya Times showed the debris of the chopper on fire while others showed the chopper captured moments before it took off.
The cause of the accident had not yet been established by the time of publishing this article. Government spokesperson, Isaac Mwaura, in a statement, said that an official communication concerning the crash shall be issued soon. He further urged the public to stay calm and avoid any speculation whatsoever at this critical juncture.
Also, Kenya’s President William Ruto has convened an urgent meeting of the country’s security council after a military helicopter crashed, his spokesman has said. Hussein Mohamed did not give further details. But local media is reporting that senior military officers were on board.
They reportedly included Gen Francis Ogolla, the president’s chief military adviser and the chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). The BBC has not been able to verify these reports.
The helicopter came down in Kenya’s Rift Valley, in the west of the country, and burst into flames, according to the reports. Five people on board the helicopter were killed, while three others survived, the reports add.
Rescue and recovery teams have been dispatched to the site of the crash.
In a post on X, Kenyan government spokesman Isaac Mwaura urged Kenyans to “stay calm and avoid any speculation whatsoever at this critical juncture”.
“An official communication concerning the Military Aircraft Crash shall be issued soon,” he said.
Additional report courtesy of BBC/Kenya Times
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