Tragedy struck as Johana Ng’eno, the Member of Parliament for Emurua Dikirr, was confirmed among six individuals who perished when a helicopter they were travelling in plunged into the fringes of Chepkieb Forest in Nandi County on Saturday evening.
The doomed aircraft attempted a perilous takeoff around 4:45pm from a rough, improvised landing patch near the woodland following heavy rains that had viciously eroded visibility across the region.
Local witnesses recounted that the helicopter had earlier executed an emergency landing shortly after 4pm when darkening skies and relentless rainfall worsened flying conditions. Observers said the pilot briefly conversed with nearby herders while evaluating whether departure was possible amid the storming weather.
Moments later, the helicopter struggled skyward but failed to gain safe distance, crashing violently into towering trees a short stretch from the forest boundary.
“The collision was sudden and engulfed in fire,” narrated a resident who rushed to the location soon after the disaster unfolded. “The aircraft ignited instantly in a terrifying blaze.”
Every one of the six occupants, including the pilot, is feared to have died at the scene. Reports indicate the flight had carried five passengers travelling from Endebess before the catastrophic accident.
As night descended, shattered remnants of the aircraft were strewn across the forest margin, with twisted metallic wreckage and scorched fragments silently testifying to the horror that occurred.
Police commander Samuel Mukuusi confirmed the crash but stated that formal identification of the victims had not yet been completed.
“We can verify that a helicopter went down in Mosop and six people are presumed dead. Investigations are actively continuing,” he reported.
Early intelligence suggested that paperwork linked to an officer of the Kenya Forest Service was discovered at the wreckage zone, though officials have not affirmed whether the officer was aboard the flight.
Investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have since sealed the scene and launched a technical probe into the terrifying incident.
By nightfall, the bodies of the victims had not yet been recovered as security teams guarded the devastated site while forensic examinations were anticipated to begin.
Authorities have promised further disclosures after informing relatives of the deceased and completing initial investigative assessments.
Source: Wesleyannews.com
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