4 Americans killed in plane crash in northwest Kenya

Five people, namely a Kenyan pilot and four Americans, died after a light aircraft crashed in Turkana county in northwest Kenya, the police confirmed on Monday.

Captain Mario Magonga, who is Deputy President William Ruto's pilot, died after a chopper they were flying in crashed in Lake Turkana Central Island at around 8 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Sunday.

"Security personnel dispatched to the scene confirmed that among the five were four Americans and the Kenyan pilot," the police said in a statement in Nairobi.

"Available information indicates that two helicopters had landed earlier at Labolo tented camp on the National Park's Island, however one managed to clear the area safely," the police said.

The police said security teams are on the scene to assist in the recovery, adding that the cause of the incident was not yet clear and the details of the deceased will be released once the next of kin have been notified.

Lawmaker Richard Onyonka, who is the cousin of Magonga, said the family was due to receive the bodies, noting that the chopper Magonga was flying went off radar near Lake Turkana.

"He (Magonga) went off radar and they were unable to trace him until about 4 a.m. (0100 GMT) when they found the wreckage. The only thing we know is that he was the one flying the helicopter," Onyonka told a local television station.