Daijiworld Media Network - Dar Es Salaam

Dar Es Salaam, Dec 25: Tanzania’s Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) confirmed that five people died Wednesday when a helicopter crashed at Barafu Camp on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak.

The victims included two Czech tourists, a Zimbabwean pilot, a Tanzanian doctor, and a Tanzanian mountain guide, according to police reports cited by Xinhua news agency.

The Airbus H125, operated by a Tanzanian company, was on a rescue mission to evacuate the Czech tourists after they fell ill when it went down in the afternoon, said Kilimanjaro regional police commander Simon Maigwa.

TCAA has launched an official investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

Mount Kilimanjaro is a popular destination for climbers and tourists worldwide. Tanzanian authorities earlier announced plans to introduce cable transport systems to improve access to mountainous tourist sites, including Kilimanjaro.

Habibu Suluo, Director General of the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA), said eight regions, including Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Dar es Salaam, are slated for cable transport implementation to facilitate easier tourist access. He emphasized that the new system would complement, not replace, the work of mountain porters.