NAIROBI -- A light aircraft carrying four people crashed Thursday in a residential area on the outskirts of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said in a statement.

The accident involved a Cessna Citation 560 air ambulance, registration 5Y-FDM, which took off from Wilson Airport in Nairobi at 2:14 pm local time en route to Hargeisa in northern Somalia. It crashed three minutes later in the Mwihoko area, the statement said.

KCAA Director-General Emile Arao said the aircraft, operated by AMREF Flying Doctors, went down under unclear circumstances. He did not disclose the fate of those on board.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident involving an air ambulance mission. Our immediate priority is to support rescue efforts and provide all necessary assistance to the families affected," Arao said.

Kenya Defence Forces and National Police Service are leading the search and rescue efforts at the crash site, according to the statement. The Air Accident Investigation Department has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the crash.

AMREF also confirmed the accident, saying it was cooperating fully with aviation authorities and emergency responders to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.

AMREF Chief Executive Officer Stephen Gitau said in a separate statement that their immediate focus is on the safety and well-being of those on board and providing full support to their families and colleagues. "We are also offering all necessary assistance to the authorities as investigations continue," Gitau added.

Images from the scene showed the wreckage engulfed in flames as witnesses watched from a distance.