At least 12 people were feared dead Tuesday when a small plane traveling from Kenya's coast crashed, according to the country's aviation authority.

The small plane was en route to Kichwa Tembo – a private airstrip located in the Maasai Mara National Park – from the tourist hotspot of Diani when it came down at around 5:30 a.m. local time (02.30 a.m. GMT).

The crash happened in a hilly and forested area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Diani, authorities said.

"The aircraft had 12 persons on board," a statement from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said.

It gave no further details, but said that government agencies were already on site to establish the cause of the accident.

Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told The Associated Press that operations at the crash site were ongoing and more details would be provided later.

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

Earlier in August, a light aircraft belonging to the medical NGO Amref crashed on the outskirts of capital Nairobi, killing six and injuring two more.