Rescue helicopter crashes on Kilimanjaro, five killed PHOTO

On December 24, five people were killed after a helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, authorities said.

The accident occurred on a popular mountaineering route between the summit and Barafu Camp, located at an altitude of around 4,000 metres, per foreign media.

The helicopter had been conducting a rescue operation, evacuating two injured climbers from the mountain.

The crash site

In addition to the two climbers, those killed included the pilot, a mountain guide, and a doctor who was part of the rescue team.

Aviation authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Helicopter accidents in the Kilimanjaro area are rare; the last reported incident occurred in 2008, when four people lost their lives.

Rising to 5,895 metres, Mount Kilimanjaro is the world’s highest freestanding mountain and a major tourist destination, attracting approximately 50,000 climbers each year.

By Khagan Isayev