4 Americans die in helicopter crash in Kenya, State Department confirms

Seven people were aboard the helicopter, officials said.

Seven people, including five Americans, are dead after a helicopter crashed in Samburu County, Kenya, on Wednesday, according to local officials and the U.S. State Department.

The deceased have been identified as Americans Roger Edward Duarte, Adam Martin Hlavaty, Henry Parra and Jose Alberto Suarez; Ecuadorians Stephany Maria Hollihan Vasconez and Michele Sensi-Contugi; and the Kenyan pilot Josh Outram, the police commander of northern Kenya's Samburu County, confirmed to ABC News.

Sensi-Contugi was Ecuador's national intelligence chief and he was on the helicopter with his wife, Hollihan Vasconez, according to Ecuador's Foreign Ministry.

Suarez was the president and general manager of multiple Telemundo stations, according to NBC .

"The U.S. Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance," a State Department spokesperson said. "We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss."

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said that seven people were aboard a helicopter that crashed near Lolokwe Mountain in Samburu County, in northern Kenya.

The Eurocopter EC130 B4 was flying from Loisaba to Ewaso Nyiro with "7 souls on board" when the accident occurred at approximately 9:13 a.m. local time, according to the KCAA.

The authority extended its "deepest condolences to the families of the victims following the tragic accident."

The U.S. Embassy confirmed five of those who died in the crash were Americans, after initially saying four Americans died.

The Kenya Red Cross said in a social media post that a multi-agency "search and recovery" operation was underway, although efforts were being hampered by difficult terrain and an active fire at the crash site.

The helicopter company Lady Lori released a statement on the accident, saying the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Luxury ⁠travel and tour agency & Beyond confirmed that a helicopter carrying its guests had crashed near Mount Ololokwe.

In a statement, the company expressed its "deepest sympathies with all those affected."

"The cause of the crash has not yet been determined and is under investigation by the relevant local authorities," & Beyond said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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