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Three people were killed when a small aircraft crashed in the Kwachocha area of Malindi on Friday, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
In a statement released on Friday evening, KCAA Director General Emile Arao confirmed that the fatalities were on the ground when the aircraft went down along the Malindi-Mombasa highway.
“The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirms that the aircraft, registration number SY-CDC, crashed 2 km from Malindi airport at 2:52 pm,” Arao said. “The aircraft had three people on board who survived and were taken to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately, three people on the ground were killed. Government agencies are on-site to investigate the cause of the crash,” he added.
Reports suggest that those on board were a pilot, an instructor, and a student. They sustained minor injuries and were transported to Twafiq Hospital in Malindi for treatment.
The cause of the crash, which occurred near a busy roadside stage, has not yet been determined. Police in Kilifi County reported that the victims on the ground were two boda boda riders and a passenger.
The incident caused significant traffic disruption and attracted a large crowd. Online footage showed parts of the aircraft on the road with a large fire nearby, suggesting the plane caught fire upon impact. Other images revealed that nearby makuti structures also caught fire.
Firefighters from the Kenya Airports Authority and Malindi Municipality eventually extinguished the flames, revealing what appeared to be charred remains at the scene.
This crash is one of the deadliest air disasters in Kenya in recent times. Earlier, on April 18, 2024, a military helicopter crash in Elgeyo Marakwet County claimed 10 lives, including the Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla. Additionally, a chartered flight crashed on September 16, 2024, in Migori, but no injuries or fatalities occurred.
