Two dead as planes collide mid-air in Nairobi, Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya

Two people have been confirmed dead following a mid-air collision between two planes in Nairobi.

The deceased are reported to be a trainee pilot and instructor who were onboard a Cessna aircraft belonging to Ninety-Nines Flying School. The aircraft crashed into the Nairobi National Park killing the two on the spot.

The second aircraft, a Dash 8, belongs to Safarilink Aviation Limited which has since confirmed that the flight was headed to Diani with 39 passengers and 5 crew on board when it experienced "a loud bang soon after take-off."

No casualties were reported from the Safarilink airline.

"Safarilink Aviation wishes to report that this morning at 9:45 Local Time our flight number 053 with 39 passengers and 5 crew on board headed to Diani experienced a loud bang soon after take-off. The crew decided to immediately turn back to Nairobi-Wilson Airport for further inspection and assessment and landed safely. There were no casualties reported," said Safarilink in a statement.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has since commenced investigations to establish the circumstances that led to the collision.

"Investigations have commenced through various agencies led by the Air Accident Investigation Department (MID) and the National Police Service to establish the cause of the accident," said the Authority.