Kenya helicopter crash - live: Tourist chopper 'carrying 7' goes down in Samburu

A helicopter has crashed near Kirish close to Mt Ololokwe in Kenya ’s Samburu County, with several tourists believed to have been on board.

A preliminary police report cited by Kenyan newspaper The Star said seven tourists were travelling in the aircraft , although their nationalities have not yet been established. Local residents and rescue teams were heading towards the scene, where smoke and fire had been seen following the crash.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter had been travelling towards the Ewaso Nyiro river, which runs through the Samburu National Reserve.

The authority has not confirmed how many people were on board or whether they were tourists, and details surrounding any casualties remain unclear.

Flightradar24 data for 5Y-GYM, the aircraft registration confirmed by Kenyan aviation authorities, shows a fragmented flight track over northern Kenya.

The latest incident comes after another helicopter crash in Kenya earlier this year.

AP reports that six people, including a legislator, died in February when a helicopter came down in a hilly area of western Kenya.

Kenyan aviation authorities have yet to officially confirm how many people were travelling in the helicopter or whether they were tourists.

A preliminary police report cited by Kenyan newspaper The Star earlier said seven tourists were on board, but KCAA has not confirmed that figure.

The helicopter was operated by local safari company Tropic Air and crashed in the foothills Mt Ololokwe, local media reports.

The crash occurred in a remote part of Samburu near Mt Ololokwe, where rugged terrain can present challenges for emergency responders.

Local responders, including residents, are said to have joined the effort to reach the crash site.

The crash is believed to have occurred roughly 217 miles from Kenya's capital Nairobi.

Here’s what we know about the helicopter crash in Kenya’s Samburu County: