Ecuador’s intelligence chief, Michele Sensi-Contugi, and his wife, Stephany Hollihan, are among seven people killed after a helicopter crashed in Kenya’s Samburu County on Wednesday.
The Eurocopter EC130 B4 crashed at about 9:13 a.m. local time near Mount Ololokwe while travelling from the Loisaba wildlife conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area, according to Kenya’s aviation authorities. All seven people aboard the aircraft died in the accident.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, KCAA, said the aircraft was operated by Lady Lori Helicopters and was involved in a scenic flight in northern Kenya, a region known for its wildlife conservancies, rugged landscapes and safari tourism.
The crash occurred in a remote and difficult-to-access area around Mount Ololokwe. The Kenya Red Cross said emergency teams were initially unable to reach the crash site because of the challenging terrain, while drones were deployed to assess the area and support the response.
Sensi-Contugi, 44, was director general of Ecuador’s intelligence agency. He was appointed to lead the country’s Centre for Strategic Intelligence, known as CIES, by President Daniel Noboa in January 2024. Ecuadorian government records identify him as the agency’s director general.
His death prompted an official expression of condolences from Ecuador’s government. “The National Government expresses its most heartfelt condolences over the sensitive passing of Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan,” the presidential office said in a statement.
Sensi-Contugi was an Italian-Ecuadorian businessman and government official who held several positions under Noboa before becoming head of the country’s intelligence service.
His appointment came as Ecuador was intensifying efforts to strengthen its intelligence capabilities amid growing security challenges.
The US State Department confirmed that five American citizens were among those killed, although the identities of all five had not initially been released.
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“We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss,” a State Department spokesperson said.
One of the American victims was identified by US media as José Alberto Suárez, a senior Telemundo executive. Other reports identified Sensi-Contugi’s wife as holding dual US and Ecuadorian citizenship.
The full circumstances surrounding the presence of the group in Kenya were not immediately clear, although the aircraft was carrying guests on a safari-related flight. The helicopter was travelling between the Loisaba conservancy and the Ewaso Nyiro area when it went down.
Lady Lori Helicopters, the company that operated the aircraft, expressed sadness over the accident and extended its condolences to the victims’ families and everyone affected.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident,” the company said.
The KCAA identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter EC130 B4 and said it was coordinating the response to the crash. Kenya’s transport authorities and the Air Accident Investigation Department are expected to lead investigations into what caused the aircraft to go down.
Authorities have not indicated that the crash was linked to any security incident, and the cause had not been established as of Wednesday.
Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, flight operations, weather conditions, maintenance records and other factors as part of the inquiry.
Images from the scene showed smoke rising from the area around Mount Ololokwe, while rescue and assessment efforts were complicated by the location of the crash.
APNews
