10 soldiers die, 13 hurt as military chopper crash lands in Kenya
Thursday June 24 2021
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel cordon off the scene of the military helicopter crash in Oltepesi, Kajiado West, on June 24, 2021. Ten Kenya Air Force soldiers died in the crash. PHOTO | VINCENT ACHUKA | NMG
Ten Kenya Air Force personnel have died while 13 others sustained injuries after the military aircraft they were in crash landed during training in Kajiado West, south of the capital Nairobi.
According to a statement signed by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Spokesperson Zipporah Kioko, the Mi 171E helicopter crash landed around 9am on Thursday.
Col Kioko added that those who were injured were taken to the Defence Forces Memorial Hospital in Nairobi. Bodies of the 10 soldiers who died in the crash have been moved to Nairobi.
She said aircraft accident investigators were at the scene to establish the cause of the crash.
Kajiado West Deputy County Commissioner Muranga Morakwa said that KDF has been training in the area for a long time.
Prior to the crash, the helicopter circled in the air for over 20 minutes as those on board scrambled to jump out.