At least five people were killed on Wednesday evening after a helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro during a medical evacuation mission, Tanzanian police have confirmed.
The accident occurred along one of the mountain’s popular climbing routes as the aircraft was attempting to rescue stranded patients on Africa’s highest peak, according to reports by ABC News.
Among those killed were two foreign nationals who had been picked up during the evacuation. The other victims were identified as a local doctor, a tour guide, and the pilot.
Police said the helicopter went down between Barafu Camp and Kibo Summit at an altitude of more than 4,000 metres (13,100 feet), a notoriously challenging section of the mountain.
Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander, Simon Maigwa, told journalists that the aircraft belonged to Kilimanjaro Aviation, a company known for providing medical evacuation and other aviation services in the region.
Maigwa added that the company had yet to issue an official statement on the crash.
Authorities have not disclosed the cause of the accident, noting that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, attracts tens of thousands of climbers annually, with rescue operations often carried out under difficult weather and high-altitude conditions.
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