Medical plane crashes near Nairobi, killing six

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A medical light aircraft crashed into a small residential block near the Kenyan capital Nairobi, killing at least six people and injuring two seriously, a local official said Thursday.

The plane took off from Nairobi's Wilson airport at 2:17 pm local time (1100 GMT) and was en route to Somaliland when it came down in Ruiru, Kiambu County, shortly after 3:00 pm (1200 GMT).

"We have lost four people, including the pilot... it was all fatal," said Kiambu County commissioner Henry Wafula.

"The house that it landed on... two people again also died," he said, adding that two people on the ground had been "seriously injured".

Images from AFP on the scene showed huge crowds had gathered, as rescuers and first responders picked through the scattered debris.

"The plane started burning while in the air," resident Tasha Wanjira told AFP, before it hurtled down into the small community.

Rescuers work between wreckage parts at a scene where a Kenyan medical plane crashed, killing at least 6 people, on the outskirts of Nairobi on August 7, 2025.

Another resident, Irene Wangui, described how the "plane passed by our building shaking it", and said when the aircraft came down "there were body parts littered all over".

As dusk fell, hundreds remained to watch the rescue workers -- with residents sobbing as they were comforted by neighbours.

"I have lost everything, thank God my children were not around," Margaret Wairimu told AFP, weeping over her destroyed home.

Amref Flying Doctors CEO Stephen Gitau confirmed one of their aeroplanes, a Cessna Citation XLS, had been "involved in a fatal accident today", but did not provide any further details.

Gitau said the company was focusing on "the safety and well-being of those on board" and said that further information would be provided "as it is confirmed".

Based in Nairobi, Amref was founded in 1957 as the Flying Doctors of East Africa.