Five people died when a rescue helicopter crashed on Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, while on a medical evacuation mission.

According to Reuters, the aircraft went down on 24 December 2025 near Barafu Camp, a key stop on the popular climbing route, and all on board were killed.

The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) confirmed that the crash claimed the lives of two foreign tourists, a pilot, a local doctor and a mountain guide, in a statement issued on Thursday, 25 December 2025. Tanzanian media reports, including from Mwananchi and East Africa TV, identified the helicopter as operating a medical rescue mission to evacuate climbers who needed urgent care.

The two tourists were Czech nationals, while the pilot was from Zimbabwe, and the Tanzanian victims were a doctor and a climbing guide, officials told reporters in the northern town of Moshi. Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander Simon Maigwa said the helicopter was part of a rescue effort but crashed in difficult terrain and conditions at high altitude.

The accident occurred between Barafu Camp and the Kibo Summit, at an elevation of about 4,670 to 4,700 metres above sea level, one of the last stages on the route to Africa’s highest point. Mount Kilimanjaro attracts around 50,000 climbers each year, and helicopter evacuations are routinely used to assist those suffering from altitude sickness or injuries.

Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the causes of the crash. The TCAA and the Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) have established a base in the Barafu area to conduct a detailed inquiry, officials said, adding that the cause of the accident remains unclear and will be determined once investigations progress, The Citizen reported. 

Commissioner Musa Kuji of Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) confirmed the identities of the deceased, including David Plos (30) and Anna Plosova (30), the two Czech tourists on a multi‑day climb that began earlier in the week via the Machame route. The helicopter model involved was reported by local sources to be an Airbus H125 operated by Kilimedair, a company providing medical evacuation services on the mountain.

Mount Kilimanjaro, in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border, is a major tourism and climbing destination. While the ascent does not require technical climbing skills, rapidly changing weather and thin mountain air at high altitudes can pose risks to climbers, making medical evacuations an important safety measure along busy routes. 

Helicopter accidents on Mount Kilimanjaro are rare; the most recent comparable aviation tragedy occurred in November 2008, when four people died when a small aircraft crashed on the mountain’s slopes. TCAA officials said more information will be released as the investigation continues and search teams compile data from the site.