Ecuador intelligence chief and five Americans killed in Kenya helicopter crash
BBC News reports that Ecuador’s intelligence chief, Michele Sensi-Contugi, and his wife Stephany Hollihan were killed, along with five Americans, in a helicopter crash in Kenya on Wednesday.
The accident occurred around 09:13 local time (06:13 GMT) in Samburu County. According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), the helicopter was on a scenic flight from a wildlife conservancy in Loisaba to Ewaso Nyiro, a river passing through several national reserves.
"The National Government expresses its most heartfelt condolences over the sensitive passing of Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan," stated Ecuador’s presidential office on X. Former President of Ecuador Guillermo Lasso also paid tribute to the couple on social media.
The Kenya Red Cross has reported that the crash site is not yet accessible, but drones are being used to assess the scene. The KCAA confirmed the accident involved a Eurocopter EC130 B4 and stated that the transport ministry and Air Accident Investigations Department would lead investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in Kenya. In February, a helicopter crash in Nandi killed six people, including a member of parliament, while in 2024, the military chief, Gen Francis Omondi Ogolla, perished in a crash that left only two survivors.
