A plane crash has killed 11 people, mostly foreign tourists, in Kenya’s coastal region of Kwale early today, Tuesday, October 28, 2025, while they were en route to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in heavy rain.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve, in western Kenya, is a two-hour direct flight from Diani, a popular town on the Indian Ocean. One of Kenya’s most visited areas, the reserve features an annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania.
The airline, Mombasa Air Safari, said in a statement that eight Hungarian and two German passengers were on board, and the Kenyan pilot was also killed.
Authorities said that the plane crashed in a hilly, forested area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Diani airstrip.
The airline stressed in the statement that its primary focus “right now is on providing all possible support to the families affected.”
The airline did not confirm what time the aircraft departed Diani, saying thafthe pilot failed to communicate upon departure and that the airport control tower tried to reach him for 30 minutes before the plane was located.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde disclosed that investigating agencies were looking into the cause of the crash but suggested it could have been due to bad weather.
“The weather is not very good here at the moment. Since early in the morning, it is raining and it is very misty, but we cannot preempt [the findings].”
Stephen Orinde
Mombasa Air Safari said that it is working hand in hand with civil aviation authorities to establish the cause of the crash.
Authorities initially said the crash happened at 5:30 a.m. but the Transport Minister in a statement gave the time as 8:35 a.m.
According to the most recent safety oversight audit for Kenya posted on the International Civil Aviation Organization site, from 2018, Kenya’s performance in the area of accident investigation fell below the global average.
Hungary Bemoans Plane Crash
Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán said on social media that the foreign ministry had been in contact with Kenyan authorities.
“What a tragedy! Our sincere condolences to families of the Hungarians who died in the plane crash in Kenya.”
Viktor Orbán
Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó said on social media that the Hungarian victims were two families and an acquaintance, with two children among the dead. He stated that the Hungarian consul in Kenya was on the way to the scene.
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