A tragic air accident has struck the Kenyan coast today, as a light aircraft carrying 12 people crashed in the Tsimba Golini area of Kwale County, near Mombasa.

According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), the plane, registered as 5Y-CCA, was on a flight from Diani Airstrip to Kichwa Tembo, a popular safari destination. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft lost contact and went down in a wooded area.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud explosion before smoke billowed from the crash site. Local residents and emergency responders rushed to the scene, but initial reports indicate no survivors. Most of the victims are believed to have been foreign tourists visiting Kenya’s coastal region.

Authorities have sealed off the area as investigators and rescue teams work to recover the bodies and determine the cause of the crash. The KCAA and police have assured the public that a full investigation is underway to uncover what led to this devastating loss.

This heartbreaking incident casts a shadow over Kenya’s tourism sector, especially at a time when the coast was seeing a rise in holiday bookings. The nation mourns alongside the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.