A light aircraft has crash-landed at Kwachocha area in Malindi along the Malindi-Mombasa highway.
The incident drew a large crowd and caused traffic congestion along the stretch of the road.
Video footage shared online showed parts of the plane lying on the road as a section of it was on fire, an indication that it burst into flames on impact.
Seperate images showed nearby structures had also caught fire but fire engines arrived and put out the flames.
One of the images shared online showed what appeared like the charred remains of a body.
Police in Kilifi county said there were three fatalities: two boda boda riders and a pillion passenger.
In a statement Friday evening, Kenya Civil Aviation Aauthority (KCAA) Director General Emile Arao confirmed that the fatalities were all on the ground when the aircraft came down along the Malindi-Mombasa highway.
“Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) wishes to confirm that an aircraft registration number SY-CDC, crashed 2km from Malindi airport at 2.52 pm.
“The aircraft had three people on board who survived and were rushed to the nearest hospital. Meanwhile, regrettably, there were three fatalities on the ground. Government agencies are already on site to establish the cause of the accident,” Arao said.
Separate reports indicated that those on board were a pilot, an instructor and a student.
They sustained minor injuries and were rushed to Twafiq Hospital in Malindi for treatment, the reports added.
The cause of the crash at a busy roadside stage was yet to be established.
The crash is one of the deadliest air disasters witnessed in Kenya in recent times.
On September 16, 2024, a chartered flight carrying 10 passengers and a crew member crashed during takeoff in Migori, but there were no injuries or fatalities.
On April 18, 2024, a military helicopter crashed in Elgeyo Marakwet county, killing 10 people, including the then Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla.
