A helicopter crashed into a residential area just outside Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday, killing six people, according to local officials and the Kenya Red Cross.
The crash happened in Githurai, a suburb in northeastern Nairobi, within Kiambu County. Emergency teams, including the military and police, quickly reached the scene to start rescue operations and secure the area.
The helicopter was a Cessna aircraft operated by AMREF Flying Doctors. It was on its way to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, when it crashed. According to reports, the helicopter had four passengers on board and hit several buildings during the crash.
People living nearby said they heard a loud explosion and then saw flames and wreckage spread across the neighborhood. One local resident told reporters, “I heard a loud sound, then saw a fireball and debris everywhere.”
BREAKING:
At 0748 EDT, a Kenyan military helicopter crashed in Mwihoko, Ruiru, hitting a school and sparking a fire that emergency services are battling.
Casualty numbers are unconfirmed. The helicopter, likely a Kenya Air Force SA 330 Puma from Moi Air Base, Nairobi, is used… pic.twitter.com/kkrhoyi90x
— Laszlo Varga (@LaszloRealtor) August 7, 2025
Videos shared online (not yet verified) showed firefighters trying to control the fire caused by the crash.
Sadly, crashes involving small aircraft are not rare in East Africa. Last year, Kenya’s military chief and nine others died when a military helicopter crashed shortly after take-off.
