Ecuadorian intelligence chief and wife die in Kenya helicopter crash

A helicopter carrying seven people, including Ecuador's National Intelligence Center chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany, crashed in a remote region of central Kenya. The accident occurred Wednesday morning as the Eurocopter EC130 B4 was flying from the Loisaba Nature Reserve to Ewaso Nyiro in Samburu County.

The Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that there were six passengers and one pilot aboard. An investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the crash. Local media reported that the aircraft went down in a rugged area at the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination.

The helicopter belonged to local company Lady Lori Helicopters, and its passengers were guests of the travel company &Beyond. Lady Lori confirmed it was a chartered flight. Sensi-Contugi, who led Ecuador's intelligence agency, was considered a close associate of President Daniel Noboa amid a severe security crisis in the country.

Ecuador's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Roberto Luque, expressed his condolences on social media, stating, "Today Michele and Stephany departed very soon. I think of their family, especially their children and their parents."

Search and rescue efforts were supported by Tropic Air Kenya, which dispatched two helicopters, and the Kenya Red Cross. Their emergency response teams joined a coordinated multi-agency effort to reach the crash site. Helicopter accidents are not uncommon in Kenya, where a significant tourism industry relies on air transport to reach remote areas.

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Today departed very soon Michele and Stephany. I think of their family, especially their children and their parents.