On Thursday (December 25th), the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority stated that a helicopter had crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, leading to the death of five individuals.
According to a report by Reuters, the Tanzania National Parks said in a statement that the victims included a guide and a doctor (both Tanzanian nationals), a pilot from Zimbabwe, and two tourists from the Czech Republic.
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority released a statement indicating that the helicopter crashed near the Barafu Camp on Mount Kilimanjaro on Wednesday (December 24th).
Tanzanian media outlet “Mwananchi” and East Africa Television cited the Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander reporting that the helicopter was on a medical rescue mission at the time.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa, with an altitude of nearly 6,000 meters (20,000 feet).
“Mwananchi” reported that the crash site of the helicopter was between altitudes of 4,670 meters and 4,700 meters. Approximately 50,000 tourists climb Mount Kilimanjaro each year.