Six people have died after a light aircraft operated by the medical charity Amref Flying Doctors crashed in Nairobi’s Githurai area on Thursday afternoon, bursting into flames upon impact with a residential building. The Cessna aircraft had taken off from Wilson Airport and was en route to Hargeisa, Somalia, when it lost both radio and radar contact with air traffic control just three minutes after take-off, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
Authorities confirmed that four people on board, including doctors, nurses, and the pilot, perished in the crash, while two others on the ground were also killed. Two more victims suffered serious injuries and are receiving treatment. Amref Flying Doctors CEO Stephen Gitau said the organisation was cooperating fully with aviation authorities and emergency response teams to determine the cause of the tragedy.
Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula reported that investigators have been dispatched, with the Kenya Defence Forces and the National Police Service carrying out search and recovery operations at the crash site. Eyewitness Patricia Kombo described seeing a sudden red flash and hearing a loud bang before smoke filled the area, prompting panic among nearby residents.
In a separate fatal incident the same day, at least four people were killed when a train collided with a bus at a railway crossing near Naivasha town in central Kenya. The Kenya Pipeline Company confirmed that the bus was transporting employees finishing their morning shift at one of its training centres. Several injured staff members were taken to the hospital for treatment.
The twin tragedies have sparked nationwide grief and renewed concerns over transportation safety in Kenya, with both incidents now under investigation.
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