The fire that has been ravaging the slopes of Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, since Friday night is “under control”, a Tanzanian tourism ministry official said on Sunday, saying he expected full control of the flames at night.
The fire broke out on Friday night near the Karanga camp, a stopover for hikers and mountaineers located at an altitude of about 4,000 meters on one of the busiest climbing routes leading to the “roof of Africa” (5,895 meters). .
“So far we have managed to control the fire. It is largely extinct in most areas, although there are still fumaroles. We hope to have the fire completely under control by this afternoon,” the permanent secretary said. from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Eliamani Sedoyeka, to the public broadcaster TBC.
“Most of the areas that burned last night are under control,” he added.
“It’s all under control”
The fire caused no casualties at this tourist hotspot in northeastern Tanzania, which is particularly popular with hiking and mountaineering enthusiasts. Several tens of thousands of people climb its slopes each year.
“We want to assure all Tanzanians that everything is under control. Although the fire continues, we have managed to control it to a large extent,” said Nurdin Babu, a ranger of the Kilimanjaro region.
If the origin of the fire has not yet been formally identified, Eliamani Sedoyeka estimated on Saturday night that “it is possible that a nuthatch or honey collectors caused the fire through negligence.” An official from the national parks authority (Tanapa), Herman Batiho, said he was “sure it is due to human activities, perhaps honey extraction by locals or (…) poachers.”
This fire occurs exactly two years after a fire that had devastated, for a week in October 2020, 95 km² of runways, without causing fatalities.
Kilimanjaro, an emblematic mountain whose snow-capped peak is known throughout the world, and the area around it are listed as a national park, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Source: BFM TV
