A helicopter accident on Mount Kilimanjaro has claimed the lives of five people, Tanzania’s Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) confirmed on Thursday.
The aircraft crashed near Barafu Camp on Wednesday, the authority said, noting that an investigation had been opened to determine the cause of the incident. “Investigations into the accident are ongoing,” the TCAA stated.
Those killed were identified by Tanzania National Parks as two Tanzanians—a mountain guide and a medical doctor—a Zimbabwean pilot, and two tourists from the Czech Republic.
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Local media reports indicated that the helicopter was on a medical evacuation mission when it went down. Mwananchi newspaper and East Africa TV, quoting the Kilimanjaro region’s head of police, said the aircraft had been deployed to rescue an ailing climber on the mountain.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, stands at nearly 6,000 metres above sea level. According to Mwananchi, the crash occurred at an altitude of between 4,670 and 4,700 metres.
Kilimanjaro is one of Tanzania’s top tourist attractions, drawing about 50,000 climbers each year.