A helicopter on a rescue mission crashes on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjar

Addis Ababa, December 25, 2025 (FMC) — Five people have died after a helicopter crashed during a rescue mission on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, police said.

The accident occurred Wednesday evening on one of the mountain’s most frequented climbing routes, according to Tanzanian police.

Authorities said the aircraft was carrying out a mission to evacuate patients when it crashed between Barafu Camp and the Kibo Summit, at an altitude above 4,000 metres (13,100 feet).

Two foreign nationals who were being medically evacuated were among those killed, along with a local doctor, a tour guide and the pilot, police said.

Regional police commander Simon Maigwa told journalists the helicopter belonged to Kilimanjaro Aviation, a company that conducts medical evacuation services. The company has not yet issued a statement.

Police said investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash. Aircraft accidents on Mount Kilimanjaro are rare, with the last recorded incident in November 2008 when four people died.