Nairobi (AFP) – Ecuador's intelligence chief and five US citizens died when a tourist helicopter crashed in central Kenya on Wednesday, killing all seven people on board, officials said.

The accident happened Wednesday morning in Samburu County, north of the capital Nairobi, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).

The aircraft had departed from the Loisaba wildlife reserve.

Images shared by the Kenya Red Cross on X in the afternoon showed a crash site in flames. It said difficult terrain hampered rescue operations.

"There were seven people on board the helicopter, one pilot and six passengers," Fredrick Kabunge, director of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID), told AFP, confirming that no one had survived.

Contacted by AFP Wednesday evening, Samburu County police chief David Nkoroi said "operations have been suspended until tomorrow because of darkness and the complex nature of the ground and the scene of the crash."

Ecuador's Transport Minister Roberto Luque said the Latin American nation's intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife were among those killed.

"Today Michele and Stephany left us too soon. Thinking of their family, especially their children and parents," Luque wrote on X.

Sensi-Contugi, 42, is a former businessman appointed as head of Ecuador's National Intelligence Center in 2024.

He was a close associate of Ecuador's right-wing President Daniel Noboa, who has made his country a key US partner in Washington's renewed combat against drug cartels.

A US State Department spokesperson said that five American citizens died in the crash, without providing their identities.

Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo however announced that one of its senior managers in Florida, Jose Alberto Suarez, had died in the crash.

"We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that Jose was killed in a helicopter accident in Kenya," said a statement by Cesar Conde, newsgroup chairman of parent-company NBCUniversal, and two other executives.

"Jose was an exceptional colleague who cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the important role our stations play in people's lives."

Kabunge said the "helicopter was transporting tourists for a scenic flight".

In a video shared on X, black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky at the foot of Mount Ololokwe, where the crash occurred.

Mount Ololokwe is a sacred mountain for the Samburu people, its summit rising 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) above sea level, and it is a popular hiking destination. Companies offer helicopter flyovers.

The cause of the crash has not yet been established, with KCAA saying investigations were underway.

In March, a helicopter crash in western Kenya killed six people, including a member of parliament.