Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya - Twelve US tourists, members of three families, were killed when their light aircraft got lost and crashed into the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya, Africa's second-highest mountain, officials said on Sunday.
A Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) team who trekked up to the crash site said they had seen the bodies of four children and recovered eight US passports.
"All people are dead. It's a real mess. The plane exploded and it is scattered all over the area," Bongo Woodley, senior warden in the Mount Kenya region for the KWS, said.
'All people are dead. It's a real mess'
Saturday's crash also killed the two South African pilots.
The South African-registered plane was flying over the 5 182-metre mountain, 112km north of the Kenyan capital Nairobi when the accident occurred.
The dead tourists were believed to belong to three families, a Kenya Airports Authority official who did not want to be named told Reuters.
"Most likely we have three families on board based on the names which we have," the official said. He said at least five of the dead were women.
Peter Wakahia, chief inspector of accidents with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, told Reuters: "There were two South African pilots and 12 American passengers."
'Police climbers are scaling the mountain'
Wakahia said the aircraft, which had been flying the tourists to Samburu in northern Kenya, appeared to have lost its way. The plane crashed at around 6pm (15h00 GMT) after it had taken off at 4.15pm in Nairobi.
"This is usually a 30-minute flight. The pilot must have been blocked by mist and clouds and got lost before crashing."
KWS's Woodley said the aircraft had hit the third highest point on the mountain.
Efforts to retrieve the bodies were under way, police said.
"Police climbers are scaling the mountain and will probably arrive there early on Monday. A helicopter sent to survey the scene has been hindered by thick cloud cover," said Albert Waweru, a senior police officer in Nyeri town.
The aircraft was registered to the Air 2000 Company of South Africa, the Airports Authority official said.