A Kenya Air Force helicopter crashed on Monday, November 20, 2023, while taking off in Wajir County.
In a video seen by K24 Digital, the chopper is seen ascending before dropping to the ground a few seconds later, forcing onlookers to flee for their safety.
This is what happened today. A KDF helicopter ferrying relief food crashes after takeoff in Wajir. pic.twitter.com/xs86ZuBxmi— Cornelius K. Ronoh (@itskipronoh) November 20, 2023
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) confirmed the incident, saying the aircraft - multipurpose helicopter model Mi-171E - was supplying relief food in Buna Town, Wajir North Constituency, when the crash occurred at around 5:00 pm.
KDF said all crew and passengers onboard disembarked safely.
"The cause of the crash will be established after investigations," KDF stated in a statement.
The incident happened hours after another helicopter crashed while taking off at the Wajir Airport runway.
Police said the chopper was carrying Arabajahan MCA Abey Jimaale. It was being piloted by Captain Kiroken and Captain James Ndirangu during the noon incident.
A report filed at the Wajir Airport Police Station indicated that Ndirangu sustained shoulder and right-hand injuries while Kiroken sustained head injuries.
The MCA suffered head injuries.
“They were rushed to Wajir County Referral Hospital where they were treated and referred to Nairobi for further treatment while in stable condition,” police said adding that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
