A dream sightseeing trip through one of Kenya’s most spectacular wilderness regions ended in horror Wednesday when a tourist helicopter crashed near a mountain, killing all seven people on board.

The Eurocopter EC130 B4 went down at about 9:13 a.m. local time on Aug. 19 near Mt. Ololokwe in remote Samburu County, roughly 170 miles north of Nairobi, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.

There were no survivors.

The helicopter was traveling south from Loisaba, a wildlife conservancy, toward the Ewaso Nyiro River when disaster struck.

Witnesses described seeing smoke and fire in the rugged area near the mountain as emergency crews scrambled to reach the wreckage, according to local reports.

Police later confirmed that all seven people aboard had been killed.

Authorities identified the pilot as Josh Outram. The six passengers were identified as Roger Duarte, Adam Hlavaty, Stephany Vásconez, Henry Parra, Michele Sensi-Contugi and José Suárez, according to ABC News.

The helicopter was reportedly based in Loisaba and had picked up the tourists from the Suyian wildlife sanctuary before the fatal flight.

The area is a major draw for visitors looking to experience Kenya’s famous wildlife, dramatic mountains and sweeping safari landscapes.

Luxury safari company &Beyond confirmed that its guests were aboard the aircraft, which was registered as 5Y-GYM.

“We can confirm that on the morning of Aug. 19 2026, an aircraft registered as 5Y-GYM, carrying &Beyond guests, crashed near Kirish, close to Mt. Ololokwe in Samburu County, Kenya,” the company said in a statement.

The company offered its sympathies to everyone affected and said the cause of the crash had not yet been determined.

Kenya Red Cross emergency teams were dispatched to the scene as part of a multi-agency response. An Air Tropic rescue helicopter also reportedly reached the remote crash site.

Photos from the aftermath showed emergency responders working in the rugged terrain as authorities began the grim task of investigating what caused the aircraft to suddenly go down.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the Ministry of Roads and Transport’s Air Accident Investigation Department is leading the investigation.

Authorities have not yet said whether weather, mechanical failure or another issue may have contributed to the crash.

The deadly accident is now under investigation as officials work to determine how a scenic tourist flight through one of Kenya’s best-known safari regions turned into a devastating tragedy.