Five people, including foreign tourists on a climbing trip, were killed when their helicopter crashed while descending Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Tanzanian authorities said on Thursday.
Tanzanian aviation and transportation officials were investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred late Wednesday afternoon, said Salim R. Msangi, the director general of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority.
A local tour guide, identified as Innocent Mbaga; a doctor, Jimmy Daniel, 32; Constantine Mazonde, 42, a pilot from Zimbabwe who was living in Tanzania; and two Czech nationals, David Plos and Anna Plosova, both 30, were on board the Airbus helicopter when it crashed, Simon Maigwa, the Kilimanjaro regional police commander, and Musa Kuji, the commissioner for Tanzania National Parks, told reporters.
Mr. Kuji told reporters that the Czech tourists had been on a six-day trip that began on Saturday. They were on their descent from the mountain when the helicopter crashed around the Barafu Camp area in Kilimanjaro National Park, Mr. Kuji said.
The Barafu Camp site, at an elevation of 15,330 feet, is on a ridge at the southeastern base of the mountain’s Kibo volcanic cone.
Mr. Kuji said the Tanzanian authorities were making arrangements with the relevant embassies to return the bodies of the victims.
The helicopter belonged to a company called Kilimedair, officials said. Kilimedair did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company’s website says the services it provides include “urgent medical evacuations or scenic explorations.”
It says it also offers a speedy descent service for climbers who have reached Kilimanjaro’s peak and find the “traditional two-day descent” challenging, offering flights that allow them to “skip the long trek.”
Kilimanjaro is the world’s highest free-standing mountain, with its peak reaching more than 19,340 feet. The United Nations has designated Kilimanjaro National Park, where the mountain stands, a site of “outstanding universal value.”
The mountain is also one of the largest volcanoes in the world, with three primary volcanic peaks.
Kilimanjaro is a major international tourist draw, bringing more than 55,000 visitors to the region and generating about $50 million annually, by some estimates. A 2024 study indicated that more than a quarter of the revenue reaches poor communities, a higher proportion than in other tourist areas in the country.
The authorities in Tanzania have taken steps to draw more visitors and encourage more participation in the tourist economy, including lowering the fees for tour guides.
Ephrat Livni is a Times reporter covering breaking news around the world. She is based in Washington.
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