The Eurocopter EC130 B4 went down at about 9:13 a.m. local time in rugged terrain near the mountain, according to the aviation authority. Six passengers and the pilot were aboard the aircraft, and officials confirmed there were no survivors. 

The helicopter was operated by Lady Lori Helicopters and had been chartered for guests of safari company &Beyond. Authorities said the aircraft was flying from the Loisaba area toward Ewaso Nyiro when it crashed. &Beyond confirmed that its guests were aboard but said the cause of the accident remained unknown. 

"There were seven people on board the helicopter, one pilot and six passengers,” Fredrick Kabunge, director of Kenya’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Department, said, confirming that all occupants were killed. 

Images reviewed by Lamaane News Network from the scene showed extensive wreckage scattered across rocky, bush-covered terrain. Sections of the fuselage, rotor components and other debris were visible among vegetation, with parts of the wreckage still smouldering as emergency personnel worked at the remote site.

The Kenya Red Cross was among the organizations supporting operations at the crash scene. Recovery teams faced difficult terrain and fire around parts of the wreckage as authorities worked to retrieve the victims and secure the area for aviation investigators. 

The U.S. Department of State later confirmed that five U.S. citizens were among those killed and said American consular officials were working with Kenyan authorities and assisting affected families. Ecuadorian officials separately confirmed that Michele Sensi-Contugi, director of Ecuador’s National Intelligence Center, and his wife, Stephany Hollihan, were among the victims.

José Suárez, an executive with Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo, was also identified among those killed. The identities and nationalities released by officials underscored the international nature of the passenger group travelling through one of northern Kenya’s major wildlife-tourism regions.

Mount Ololokwe and the wider Samburu region attract international visitors for wildlife safaris and remote landscape excursions. Aircraft and helicopters are regularly used to connect conservancies, camps and other destinations across northern Kenya, where long distances and limited road access can make air transport important to tourism operations.

Kenyan aviation investigators have not established what caused Wednesday’s crash. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Department is expected to examine the wreckage, operational records and other available evidence as recovery work proceeds.

Authorities had not announced a preliminary cause by Wednesday evening, leaving the circumstances surrounding the helicopter’s final moments subject to the formal aviation investigation.