Two foreigners who had been picked up in the medical evacuation were among those killed.
Five people lost their lives on Wednesday evening after a helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro during a medical evacuation mission, police in Tanzania have said.
The accident occurred along one of the mountain’s most popular climbing routes as the aircraft was attempting to rescue patients stranded on Africa’s highest peak, ABC News reports.
Two foreigners who had been picked up in the medical evacuation were among those killed.
Police said the victims also included a local doctor, a tour guide and the pilot.
The helicopter went down between Barafu Camp and Kibo Summit, at an altitude of more than 4,000 metres (13,100 feet).
Kilimanjaro regional police commander Simon Maigwa told journalists that the aircraft belonged to Kilimanjaro Aviation, a company that provides medical evacuation services, among other operations.
He added that the company was yet to comment on the crash.
Authorities have not disclosed the cause of the accident, while further investigations are expected to determine what led to the incident.