Five people died when a rescue helicopter went down high on Mount Kilimanjaro on Wednesday evening, Tanzanian police said. The aircraft had been sent to pick up patients on one of the mountain’s most popular climbing routes.
The wreck lies between Barafu Camp and Kibo Summit, at more than 4,000 metres (13,100ft). The dead include the pilot, a local doctor and a tour guide. Two foreigners, whom police said had been collected in a medical evacuation, were also killed. Tanzanian media reports said Czech nationals and a Zimbabwean were aboard.
Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander Simon Maigwa told journalists the helicopter belonged to Kilimanjaro Aviation. The company had not commented at the time of the reports.
Investigation under way
Officials could not immediately say what brought the aircraft down. On Thursday the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority announced that an investigation had started in line with international safety regulations “to determine the circumstances and probable cause” of the accident.
Crashes of this kind are uncommon on the mountain. The last recorded one was in November 2008, when four people died.
The mountain
Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, at about 5,895 metres (19,341 feet) above sea level. Thousands of tourists climb it every year. The ascent is not technically difficult, but altitude sickness hits many climbers, and that is the usual reason a rescue team gets called out.
Sources
- Rescue helicopter crashes, killing five on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro
- Tanzania: Five dead in helicopter crash on Mt. Kilimanjaro
Sources
- Rescue helicopter crashes, killing five on Tanzania's Mount …
- Tanzania: Five dead in helicopter crash on Mt. Kilimanjaro – DW.com
