Five Americans, Ecuador intelligence chief killed in tourist helicopter crash in Kenya

Five Americans and the head of Ecuador's intelligence agency died after a helicopter carrying tourists crashed in central Kenya Wednesday. All seven people on board the aircraft died, Samburu County Police Commander David Nkoroi told reporters. The aircraft was traveling from the Loisaba wildlife conservancy to the Ewaso Ngiro river area when it crashed around 9:13 a.m. at Mount Ololokwe in Samburu county, north of the capital, Nairobi, according to the country's civil aviation authority. Michele Sensi-Contugi, the director general of Ecuador's intelligence agency, and his wife, fashion designer Stephany Hollihan, were killed in the crash, according to Ecuadorian authorities. An executive of the American Spanish-language television company Telemundo, José Suárez, was also among those killed in the crash, the company said. Suárez was president and general manager of multiple Telemundo-owned stations. "The US Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance," said a State Department spokesperson, who confirmed the deaths of the five Americans. "We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss." The helicopter was carrying guests from the luxury tour agency &Beyond on a charter flight, according to operator Lady Lori Helicopters. The cause of the crash has not been determined and an investigation is underway, the country's civil aviation agency said.