Five Americans and the director general of Ecuador’s intelligence agency were among seven people killed when a tourist helicopter crashed in central Kenya, authorities said.

The helicopter crashed Wednesday morning near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, north of Nairobi. The aircraft was traveling from the Loisaba wildlife conservancy toward the Ewaso Ngiro river area when it went down at about 9:13 a.m., according to Kenya’s civil aviation authority.

Samburu County Police Commander David Nkoroi said all seven people aboard the helicopter died in the crash.

The aircraft was carrying guests on a charter flight operated for the luxury tourism company &Beyond, according to Lady Lori Helicopters, the company that operated the aircraft.

Kenyan aviation authorities said the cause of the crash had not been determined and that an investigation was underway.

Among those killed were Michele Sensi-Contugi, the director general of Ecuador’s intelligence agency, and his wife, fashion designer Stephany Hollihan, Ecuadorian officials said.

Ecuador’s presidential office expressed condolences to Sensi-Contugi’s family following news of his death. The country’s foreign ministry said its embassy in South Africa was coordinating with Kenyan authorities and regional partners because Ecuador does not maintain a diplomatic mission in Kenya.

The ministry described Sensi-Contugi’s death as a significant loss for Ecuador.

Hollihan was the founder and chief executive of Sensi Studio. The company paid tribute to her, describing her as a person whose passion for design, craftsmanship and the people involved in her work shaped the business.

José Suárez, an executive with Spanish-language television company Telemundo, was also among those killed. Suárez had served as president and general manager of several Telemundo-owned television stations, the company said.

The US State Department confirmed that five Americans died in the crash. A department spokesperson said the US Embassy was working with Kenyan authorities and providing consular assistance to the victims’ families.

The crash occurred in Samburu County, a region known for its remote landscapes, wildlife conservancies and luxury tourism operations.

Kenya Red Cross teams participated in search and recovery efforts at the crash site. The organization said difficult terrain and an active fire at the scene complicated the operation and that an additional team was sent from Isiolo to assist.

The helicopter was a Eurocopter EC130 B4, now known as the Airbus H130. The single-engine aircraft can carry between five and seven passengers in addition to a pilot and has a maximum speed of approximately 178 mph.

Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash, including what caused the aircraft to go down.

SOURCE: CNN, Jennifer Hansler and Michael Rios, August 20, 2026.