Ecuador’s intelligence chief, Michele Sensi-Contugi, his wife and five American tourists have died in a helicopter crash in Kenya.

The incident was reported by the BBC, citing Kenyan authorities, the US State Department and other sources.

The seven victims were killed when the helicopter crashed in Kenya’s Samburu County on Wednesday morning while on a scenic flight from the Loisaba wildlife conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro River.

The aircraft went down on Mount Ololokwe, a prominent landmark in the region. The cause of the crash remains unknown as authorities continue investigations.

Sensi-Contugi, 44, had served as director general of Ecuador’s Strategic Intelligence Center since 2024. His wife, Stephany Hollihan, was also among those killed in the crash, along with five American nationals, according to the US authorities.

“Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan were among the seven people killed when the accident happened in Samburu county at approximately 09:13 (06:13 GMT) on Wednesday.”

“The other five victims were Americans, a US State Department spokesperson said,” the BBC report read.

The victims also included NBCUniversal journalist José Alberto Suárez and Miami-based restaurateur Roger Duarte.

The identities of the remaining three American victims had not been disclosed at the time of the report.

Initial reports identified those killed as six tourists and a pilot. However, subsequent information confirmed that Sensi-Contugi and his wife were among the passengers on board the helicopter.

The crash occurred in Samburu County at about 9:13 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter was travelling from the Loisaba wildlife conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro River, which flows through several national reserves.