DAR ES SALAAM, Dec 25 — A helicopter accident on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro has left five people dead, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed Thursday.
The aircraft went down near Barafu Camp on Wednesday at an altitude between 4,670 and 4,700 metres, according to local reports. Authorities said the victims included a Tanzanian mountain guide, a Tanzanian doctor, the Zimbabwean pilot, and two tourists from the Czech Republic.
Regional police officials told Mwananchi newspaper and East Africa TV that the helicopter was engaged in a medical rescue mission at the time of the crash.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak at nearly 6,000 metres, attracts around 50,000 climbers each year.
The tragedy underscores the risks faced by both adventurers and rescuers on one of the world’s most iconic mountains.
