A helicopter crashed Wednesday on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak and a major tourist attraction in Tanzania, killing all five people on board, Tanzanian authorities announced Thursday. Among the victims are two Czech tourists and the helicopter pilot, a citizen from Zimbabwe.
Video source: X/ @peace1Et
The accident took place at an altitude of approximately 4,700 meters, near the Barafu camp, the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority said. “The aircraft was carrying five people. Unfortunately, all of them five people died in the accident“, the authority declared, without providing details about the causes of the collapse, which remain unknown, according to Agerpres.
According to the local police commander, Simon Maigwa, the helicopter was on a rescue mission when it crashed on Wednesday, around 17:30 local time (16:30 Romanian time).
Air crashes are not new to Tanzania. In June, the European Union included all Tanzanian airlines on the list of high-risk carriers. In 2022, a plane crashed into Lake Victoria, killing 19 people, and in 1999, 12 people, including ten American tourists, died in a plane crash in northern Tanzania during a run between Serengeti National Park and Kilimanjaro Airport.
This incident brings to the forefront the risks associated with air transport in the region, especially on mountain tourist routes or in areas with changing weather conditions.
