The aircraft went down in the Ololokwe mountain area, about 250 kilometers north of Nairobi as the crow flies, with details on the number of passengers and the circumstances of the accident still unknown.
A helicopter carrying tourists crashed in central Kenya on Wednesday, with no survivors. The news was confirmed by an aviation source to AFP, as reported by Le Figaro, without providing further details on the circumstances of the crash or the number of people on board.
According to the same source, who requested anonymity, the helicopter crashed in the Ololokwe mountain zone, approximately 250 kilometers north of Nairobi, Kenya's capital, as the crow flies.
Details on the exact number of tourists on board, as well as the cause of the crash, have not yet been released. Le Figaro notes that more information will be available later.
Insider Paper reports that it was a tourist helicopter and that there are no survivors. The news was published on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, and local authorities have not yet issued an official statement.
Kenya is a popular tourist destination, especially for safaris and national parks, and helicopter flights are often used to view remote and hard-to-reach areas.
According to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the helicopter was operated by local safari company Tropic Air, and on board were six tourists and the pilot. Mount Ololokwe, sacred to the Samburu people with a peak at about 2,000 meters above sea level, is a popular destination for hikers and organized scenic flights.
Kenya's Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) stated that the crash occurred at 9:13 a.m. local time while the helicopter was flying from Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County. The aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4, and an investigation into the circumstances of the crash is underway.
A preliminary police report indicates that there were six or seven passengers on board, and their nationalities were not yet known on Wednesday. A witness at the scene said: "Right there, the helicopter crashed. It's quite deep and far, but send emergency services so people can be rescued."
The Kenya Red Cross announced that the area is not yet accessible and that drones are being used to assess the situation. The Ministry of Transport and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department have taken over the investigation into the circumstances of the crash.
This is not the first such accident in Kenya, in March this year, six people, including a member of parliament, died in a helicopter crash in the west of the country.
