MALINDI, Kenya Jan 10 – A head teacher was among three people killed on Friday afternoon when a training aircraft crash-landed at a busy roadside stage in Kwachocha, Malindi.
The deceased, identified as Naomi Chitsaka Mwagona, the head teacher of Mashamba Primary School, was on a motorbike when the aircraft went down, also killing two boda boda riders whose identities were not immediately known.
Kilifi County Police Commander Joseph Ongwae confirmed the fatalities, stating, “We have three fatalities from the incident, and these are people who were on the roadside.”
The aircraft, operated by the Kenya Aeronautical College, had taken off from Malindi Airport en route to Wilson Airport in Nairobi. It developed mechanical problems mid-flight, leading to the crash.
Onboard were a pilot, an instructor, and a student who escaped with minor injuries and were rushed to Twafiq Hospital in Malindi.
Police said one of the boda boda riders was burnt beyond recognition after the aircraft exploded and caught fire.
Firefighters from the Kenya Airports Authority and Malindi Municipality, with help from locals, extinguished the blaze. The crash attracted a large crowd, causing significant traffic congestion in the area.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has launched an investigation into the mechanical failure that led to the crash.
Source: capitalfm
