Michele Sensi-Contugi, Director General of Ecuador’s Strategic Intelligence Center (CIES), and his wife, Stephany Vásconez, were among seven people killed when a tourist helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, Kenya, on Wednesday.
The Eurocopter EC130 B4 crashed at about 9:13 a.m. while flying from the Loisaba area towards the Ewaso Nyiro River.
All seven people aboard, including the Kenyan pilot, died in the accident.
Authorities identified the pilot as Josh Outran and the passengers as Sensi-Contugi, Vásconez, Roger Duarte, Adam Navaty, Henry Parra and Suian Suarez.
Sensi-Contugi, 44, was an Italian citizen with dual Ecuadorian nationality and headed Ecuador’s national intelligence agency.
His death has attracted international attention, with the Italian Embassy in Kenya providing assistance at the scene.
Four Americans died in the crash, a State Department spokesperson confirmed.
“The U.S. Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance,” the spokesperson said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss.”
The helicopter was carrying guests on a safari trip when it went down in a remote area near Mount Ololokwe. Emergency teams, including the Kenya Red Cross, responded to the crash site.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. Kenya’s Air Accident Investigation Department is leading investigations to establish what caused the aircraft to go down.
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