According to the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, a helicopter crash resulted in the death of five people on the side of Mount Kilimanjaro on Thursday. It was reported that the aircraft was on a medical rescue mission when the mishap occurred.
The dead persons consist of a guide, a doctor (who was a Tanzanian), a pilot (who was Zimbabwean), plus two other tourists from the Czech Republic, as per a statement by the Tanzania National Parks. The crash happened close to Barafu camp which is located at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, near Tanzania, the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority said in a released statement.
The Crash Happened During a Medical Evacuation
According to the “Mwananchi” newspaper, which cites sources and has been reported by East Africa TV channels, the police chief head for the Kilimanjaro region was blamed for the shooting that led to a helicopter crew conducting a medical mission. Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, is approximately 6,000 meters above sea level.
The height at which this occurrence took place varied between 4,670 and 4,700 meters. The chopper crashed at Barafu Camp yesterday. Barafu Camp is one of the major locations that visitors pass through to climb Mount Kilimanjaro before reaching the mountain. The camp stands at a height of approximately 4,670 meters above sea level.
Medevacs may also be quite frequent in Mount Kilimanjaro. The causes that may lead to a medevac in Mount Kilimanjaro may range from altitude sickness, to the risk of accidents, to other illnesses. Air transport may be involved in medevac evacuation in Mount Kilimanjaro for reasons of sickness or injury.
The victims of this crash were people from different countries. The pilot was a male from Zimbabwe. The guide and the doctor were two Tanzanians. Two of the tourists were citizens of the Czech Republic and they died. TCA has not yet released any report on the cause of the accident. The investigation may turn out to be very difficult due to the fact that the location of the crash is very high.
It will certainly not be a simple task for helicopters to fly at an elevated altitude above the mountains. The oxygen is low, and a helicopter will struggle to keep its balance. The weather can also change drastically in the mountains.
Mount Kilimanjaro is ascended by 50,000 mountaineers yearly in total. The mountain climbers are coming from the most different and remote parts of the world. The aircraft accident happened on Wednesday, though the relevant aviation organisation announced it on Thursday to the general public.
