Kenya Red Cross/Handout via REUTERSEcuador’s intelligence chief and his wife were killed in a helicopter crash in Kenya on Wednesday.
Five Americans were also killed in the crash, a US State Department spokesperson has confirmed.
Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan were among the seven people killed when the accident happened in Samburu county at approximately 09:13 local time (06:13 GMT).
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the helicopter was on a scenic flight from a wildlife conservancy in Loisaba to Ewaso Nyiro, a river that flows along several national reserves.
Former President of Ecuador Guillermo Lasso paid tribute to the pair on social media, saying: “My solidarity and closeness to their family members, friends, and colleagues in these moments of profound grief.
“May God grant them consolation and strength, and may the victims rest in peace.”
Sensi-Contugi, 44, was named director general of the strategic intelligence center of Ecuador in 2024
The identities of the five Americans have not yet been confirmed.
The State Department said: “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss.”
An image shared online shows smoke at the crash site at Mount Ololokwe.
The Kenya Red Cross has told the BBC that the area is not yet accessible, but drones are being used to assess the scene.
The KCAA said the accident involved a Eurocopter EC130 B4 and it was co-ordinating operations.
The transport ministry and Air Accident Investigations Department would lead “investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident”, it added.
Samburu county is a popular tourist destination with many private wildlife conservancies and is renowned for its stunning scenery.
Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in Kenya.
In February, a helicopter crash in the Rift Valley county of Nandi killed six people, including a member of parliament.
In 2024, the military chief, Gen Francis Omondi Ogolla, died after an army helicopter that was carrying 11 people crashed in the west of the country, with only two survivors.
In June 2021 at least 10 soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed while landing near the capital, Nairobi.
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