A Tragic Morning in Kenya: Tourists and Pilot Lose Lives in Plane Crash

A plane carrying tourists crashed in Kenya's Kwale region on a Tuesday morning. The flight was headed to the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve. Most of the passengers were tourists from Hungary and Germany. The pilot, a Kenyan, also died in the crash. The plane went down in a hilly and forested area about 25 miles from Diani airstrip. The airline, Mombasa Air Safari, said the pilot did not communicate with the control tower after takeoff. The tower tried to reach the pilot for 30 minutes before the plane was found. The airline's main concern now is supporting the families of those who died. Investigators are looking into what caused the crash. There are conflicting reports about the time of the crash. One official said it happened at 5:30 a. m. , while another said it was at 8:35 a. m. The weather was bad that morning, with heavy rain and mist. However, officials say it's too early to blame the weather for the crash. The plane burst into flames, leaving a badly damaged wreckage. Witnesses heard a loud bang and found it hard to recognize the remains at the scene. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority initially said there were 12 people on board. But later reports confirmed 11 deaths. The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a popular tourist spot. It's known for the annual wildebeest migration from Tanzania's Serengeti. The reserve is a two-hour flight from Diani, a coastal town famous for its beaches. Last year, flooding in the reserve forced tourists to be evacuated by helicopter. Kenya's coastline attracts tourists from around the world. But the country's aviation safety record is not the best. A recent report shows Kenya falls below the global average in accident investigations. This crash raises questions about safety standards in the country's aviation industry.