Five Americans and pilot killed in helicopter crash in Kenya

Four Americans and their Kenyan pilot were killed when their helicopter crashed on a remote island in Lake Turkana in a national park in northwest Kenya, police said on Monday.

The aircraft came down in Central Island National Park at around 8 p.m. on Sunday, police said, killing all on board.

Police said two helicopters had landed on the island's Labolo tented camp on Sunday evening - one flew away safely. The cause of the crash is not known.

Local media say the pilot, Mario Magonga, once worked for the country's deputy president and had extensive training and experience.

He had previously served as a Kenya Defence Forces pilot but had been working for a private firm, KIDL Helicopters, since March 2017.

"Available information indicates that two helicopters had landed earlier at Labolo tented Camp on the National Park's Island, however one managed to clear the area safely," Kenya's National Police Service said on its Twitter feed.

Police did not identify the victims, saying next of kin had to be notified first.

Richard Onyonka - a relative of the pilot and the areas MP - said Cpt Magonga had been cleared to fly several high profile guests in the past, including former US President Barack Obama.

"[He] was one of the best helicopter pilots that money could buy," Onyonka told Kenya's NTV.

The accident comes just three weeks after a separate plane crash in the country, which killed five people including three Americans.