A light aircraft crashed on Friday in Kenya’s coastal Malindi County, killing three people on the ground, according to a local police official.
According to Info Daily, the fatalities included a motorcycle taxi driver who was killed when the plane erupted into flames upon impact in the town of Kwachocha along the Malindi-Mombasa highway, Sub-County Police Commander LuckyJoski Mudavadi confirmed.
Two other victims, a motorcycle rider and a female passenger, died when parts of the aircraft’s separated wings and tail struck them as the plane crashed into a building.
The pilot and two students on board were treated for injuries after they jumped from the aircraft before it crashed. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
The Kwachocha area, which borders Malindi airport, has seen its residents embroiled in legal disputes over government plans to expand the airport, pending the resolution of land compensation issues.
Rashid Odhiambo, a local county assembly legislator, emphasised the need for reinforced safety measures in the area surrounding the airport. “Those involved in the airport management should keep ensuring safety around the airport and not just concentrate on inside the airport,” he said.
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