KERICHO, County—Environment Principal Secretary Festus K. Ng’eno was among those aboard a Kenya Forest Service (KFS) helicopter that crashed during take-off at Kericho Golf Club on Monday.
The helicopter, registration number 5Y-FSK, came down shortly after attempting to take off, prompting an emergency response at the scene.
Preliminary reports indicated that the occupants survived the crash, with some accounts reporting injuries among those on board. The injured were taken to hospital for medical attention.
The aircraft is identified as an Airbus Helicopters H125, also known as the AS350B3e Ecureuil, operated by the Kenya Forest Service.
The circumstances leading to the crash had not been established by the time of publication. Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage and other evidence to determine what caused the helicopter to come down during take-off.
Although heavy rains were reported in the area, it remained unclear whether weather conditions contributed to the incident.
Further details on the condition of the occupants, the extent of the damage to the aircraft and the findings of the investigation were awaited.
