Five dead after a helicopter crashes on Kilimanjaro during a rescue mission

Nairobi.- Five people died after a helicopter crashed on Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and located in northern Tanzania, while carrying out a rescue mission, according to official sources this Thursday.

"The aircraft was carrying five people on board. Unfortunately, the accident caused the death of all five people," the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) reported in a statement. According to the TCAA, the accident occurred this Wednesday afternoon on one of the most transited tourist routes, when an Airbus H125 helicopter, registration 5H-KMA, crashed at the Barafu camp at an altitude of over 4,000 meters on Kilimanjaro. "The relevant government authorities and emergency response agencies were immediately notified, and an investigation was launched in accordance with national and international air safety regulations to determine the circumstances and probable cause of the event," the statement concluded.

For its part, the Tanzanian Police confirmed that the aircraft crashed while carrying out a medical rescue mission, after evacuating people who were on the mountain, and that among the deceased are two foreigners, a local doctor, a tour guide and the helicopter pilot.

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The head of the Police of the Kilimanjaro region, Simon Maigwa, told the local press that the aircraft belonged to the company “Kilimanjaro Aviation”, dedicated, among other activities, to medical evacuation services.

"The investigation is ongoing to determine the causes of the accident," said Maigwa, who added that more information will be provided as the investigations progress.

This type of air accident on Kilimanjaro is rare, as the last incident of this type dates back to November 2008, when four people died in a similar accident.