Five people were killed after a rescue helicopter crashed on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro while on a medical evacuation mission, police said.
Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander Simon Maigwa said the crash occurred at around 11.30am local time on Thursday as the aircraft was flying to evacuate climbers ascending the mountain with a tourism company.
The helicopter went down in a high altitude zone between Kibo Hut and Barafu Camp, one of the final routes to the summit of Africa’s highest mountain, which rises to about 5,895 metres above sea level.
Maigwa said those killed included two foreign nationals, a tour guide, the pilot, and a doctor who was part of the rescue team. There were no survivors.
Mount Kilimanjaro is a major tourist destination and helicopter evacuations are frequently used to assist climbers suffering from altitude sickness or injuries. However, thin air and rapidly changing weather conditions often complicate rescue operations in the area.
Emergency teams were dispatched to the crash site, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident.