DP Ruto chopper crashes in Turkana killing five on board

Date:

Deputy President William Ruto’s pilot, Captain Mario Magonga, has died in a chopper crash in Turkana County.

Police on Monday said Captain Magonga died with all the four Americans he was flying after their helicopter came down at Lobolo in Central Island National Park at 8pm.

OFF RADAR

“Available information indicates that two helicopters had landed earlier at Lobolo tented camp on the National Park’s Island, however one managed to clear the area safely,” the National Police Service said in a statement.

“Security personnel dispatched to the scene confirmed that among the five were four Americans and the Kenyan pilot.”

Captain Magonga
Captain Magonga and the four Americans were landing at Lobolo Camp on the shores of Lake Turkana in Northern Kenya. MAP | GOOGLE

Security teams have been dispatched to the scene to assist with recovery of the wreck and the bodies, police said.

“The cause of the incident is yet to be established and the details of the deceased will be released once the next of kin have been notified.”

Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka, a relative of the deceased, said the chopper Mr Magonga was flying went off radar near Lake Turkana.

He said following a search and rescue mission, the wreckage of the aircraft and the pilot’s body were located on Monday at 2am.

“He (Magonga) went off the radar and they were unable to trace him until about 2am when they found his wreckage. The only thing we know is he was the one flying the helicopter,” he told NTV.

‘Deputy President William Ruto’s pilot, Captain Mario Magonga, has died in a chopper crash in Turkana County.

Police on Monday said Captain Magonga died with all the four Americans he was flying after their helicopter came down at Lobolo in Central Island National Park at 8pm.

OFF RADAR

“Available information indicates that two helicopters had landed earlier at Lobolo tented camp on the National Park’s Island, however one managed to clear the area safely,” the National Police Service said in a statement.

“Security personnel dispatched to the scene confirmed that among the five were four Americans and the Kenyan pilot.”

Captain Magonga
Captain Magonga and the four Americans were landing at Lobolo Camp on the shores of Lake Turkana in Northern Kenya. MAP | GOOGLE

Security teams have been dispatched to the scene to assist with recovery of the wreck and the bodies, police said.

“The cause of the incident is yet to be established and the details of the deceased will be released once the next of kin have been notified.”

Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka, a relative of the deceased, said the chopper Mr Magonga was flying went off radar near Lake Turkana.

He said following a search and rescue mission, the wreckage of the aircraft and the pilot’s body were located on Monday at 2am.

“He (Magonga) went off the radar and they were unable to trace him until about 2am when they found his wreckage. The only thing we know is he was the one flying the helicopter,” he told NTV.

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