Five killed as helicopter crashes on Mount Kilimanjaro

WEB DESK: A helicopter crashed on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, killing five people, the country’s civil aviation authority said on Thursday, while local media reported that the aircraft was on a medical rescue mission.

According to Tanzania National Parks, those killed included a Tanzanian guide and doctor, a Zimbabwean pilot, and two tourists from the Czech Republic.

The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter went down near Barafu Camp on Wednesday. Local outlets Mwananchi newspaper and East Africa TV, quoting the Kilimanjaro region’s head of police, reported that the aircraft was engaged in a medical evacuation at the time of the crash.

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Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, rises to nearly 6,000 metres above sea level. Reports said the crash occurred at an altitude of between 4,670 and 4,700 metres.

Around 50,000 tourists attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro every year.