Two Air Force officers die after military aircraft crashes in Kwale

Two Kenya Air Force officers have died following a military aircraft crash in Viramboni village, Ndavaya, Kwale County. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

Two Kenya Air Force military officers have died after their aircraft crashed at Viramboni village in Ndavaya, Kwale county.

Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde said security officers have already launched investigations into the incident.

"We have already cordoned off the area so that nobody can interfere with the investigation, which has begun," said Orinde.

He said the Red Cross personnel, a team of police officers, and other multi-agencies personnel are already at the scene of the accident to find out what could have happened.

"Yes, it is true an aircraft belonging Kenya Air Force crashed at Viramboni village in Kwale, and the team led by senior officers is on the ground," said Orinde.

He said the military aircraft did not catch fire after the crash. It was not clear if the bodies of military officers had been retrieved.

Sources claimed that the aircraft, which had three officers on board, departed Mombasa at 11.39 am on a training mission. It was last seen near Diani before disappearing from the radar.

They confided to The Standard that the aircraft crashed at around 12 pm, just 27 minutes after takeoff from Mombasa.

Emergency response teams from the Kenya Air Force, a crash investigation team, and the Kenya Red Cross Society swiftly moved to the scene immediately after the news of the crash.