Ecuador intelligence chief and five Americans killed in Kenya helicopter crash

Ecuador's intelligence chief and his wife have been killed in a helicopter crash in Kenya.

Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan were among the seven people killed when the accident happened in Samburu county at approximately 09:13 (06:13 GMT) on Wednesday.

The other five victims were Americans, a US State Department spokesperson said.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said the helicopter was on a scenic flight from a wildlife conservancy in Loisaba to Ewaso Nyiro, a river that flows along several national reserves.

Samburu county is a popular tourist destination with many private wildlife conservancies and is renowned for its stunning landscape.

Images from the scene show smoke at the wooded crash site on Mount Ololokwe, as members of the Kenya Red Cross approach the still-burning wreckage.

Ecuador has not given details about the death of Sensi-Contugi, 44, who was named director general of the Strategic Intelligence Center in 2024.