A helicopter crashed on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro on Wednesday, killing five people, the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority reported on Thursday. Local media said the aircraft was on a medical rescue mission.
The crash occurred near Barafu Camp on the mountain, according to the civil aviation authority. Mwananchi newspaper and East Africa TV, citing Kilimanjaro region police chief Simon Maigwa, confirmed that the helicopter was involved in a medical rescue operation.
Among the dead were a guide, a doctor, the pilot and two foreign tourists, though their nationalities were not disclosed.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, reaches nearly 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) above sea level. The helicopter crashed at an altitude between 4,670 and 4,700 meters. About 50,000 tourists climb Kilimanjaro every year.
