A medical evacuation helicopter crashed on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro on Wednesday, claiming the lives of all five people on board.
The aircraft, operated by Kilimanjaro Aviation, was conducting a rescue mission to assist two foreign climbers near the Barafu Camp, a high-altitude staging point. The crash occurred at approximately 4,700 meters above sea level in the Glacier Valley area during the final ascent route to Africa’s highest peak.
Okay News reports that the victims included two tourists from the Czech Republic, a Zimbabwean pilot, a Tanzanian medical doctor, and a local tour guide. Initial findings indicate that the helicopter caught fire and broke apart upon impact, leaving no survivors. Emergency teams were dispatched to the remote high-altitude site to recover the remains of the victims and secure the wreckage for further examination.
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority has launched a formal investigation to determine the technical or environmental factors that led to the crash. While Kilimanjaro attracts approximately 50,000 climbers annually, aviation accidents on the mountain remain rare, with the last significant incident recorded in 2008. Authorities are currently reviewing flight data and weather conditions at the time of the mission to prevent future tragedies.
