Four crew members were killed early this morning when a Fokker 50 cargo plane they were travelling in from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport crashed into a building in Utawala, Embakasi, near the General Service Unit training School. The ensuing fire was put out by emergency services. The plane, which was destined for Mogadishu, had taken off at about 4am before it came down shortly after take-off.

“The plane first hit an electric pole then crashed into a commercial building in Embakasi before bursting into flames,” JKIA’s chief of security Eric Keraithe was quoted as saying.

The area has been cordoned off and a search is underway to find out if there are more casualties in the building.

JKIA is reported to be back to full operation after it was closed soon after the crash for a security assessment.