(Dar es Salaam) Tanzania on Tuesday mobilized soldiers to reinforce civilian firefighters and volunteers engaged in the face of a fire on Mount Kilimanjaro, which has lasted for more than ten days.
Posted at 1:04 p.m.
The fire started on October 21 near the Karanga camp, about 4000 meters above sea level, a waypoint for mountaineers on their ascent to the highest peak on the continent, nicknamed the “roof of Africa” ( 5895 meters).
The flames then spread to other sites. The approximately 600 people on the fire-fighting team, some of whom used branches to extinguish it, were then overwhelmed.
The soldiers have “already arrived on the mountain and are ready to put out the fire”, the Tanzania Defense Forces (TPDF) said in a statement, without specifying the exact number of soldiers dispatched to the spot.
The fire seemed under control last week before strong winds dispersed it to other nearby sites.
“We will cooperate with other forces and volunteers to ensure that the fire is quickly brought under control, before it does significant damage,” the military statement said.
No injuries have been reported so far, and tourism has not been affected, according to the government.
An emblematic mountain whose snow-capped peak is known throughout the world, Kilimanjaro and the area surrounding it are classified as a national park, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With a total area of more than 750 square kilometres, the park is home to a remarkable ecosystem, with a rich flora and fauna composed of elephants, buffaloes, antelopes…