NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A small plane crashed in Kenya’s coastal region of Kwale early Tuesday while en route to Maasai Mara National Reserve, with 12 people feared dead, officials said.

The crash happened in a hilly and forested area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Diani airstrip, authorities said. Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told The Associated Press that the passengers were “all foreign tourists" and their nationalities would be confirmed later.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said that 12 people were onboard the Cessna Caravan-type aircraft, and authorities were investigating the cause of the crash. The breakdown of how many were passengers and crew wasn’t immediately clear

The aircraft crashed minutes after takeoff and burst into flames leaving a charred wreckage at the scene, officials said.

Witnesses told the AP that they heard a loud bang, and on arriving at the scene they found unrecognizable human remains.

The airline, Mombasa Air Safari, told the AP that it was collaborating with the civil aviation body and updates on the crash would be shared though the authority.

Maasai Mara National Reserve is a popular tourist destination and features the annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania. (Yahoo News)