Tanzanian authorities said about 320 firefighters are working to put out a fire that has erupted since Friday on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain.
The fire broke out near the Karanga camp, at an altitude of 3,963 meters above sea level, on the Moika road.
The Tanzanian daily Citizen newspaper, on social media, has published videos of guides and tourists battling the fire with their branches.
So far, there have been no reports of casualties from the fire, regional commissioner Noureddin Babu was quoted by the DPA news agency. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
Sad news! mountain. Kilimanjaro burning started on Sunday!
In 2020, forest fires increased.
We have totally lost no. of ecosystems and restoring them will take years. discard # Climate change It will lead to the land of no return. Should #FaceTheClimateEm Emergency #ClimateAction pic.twitter.com/f6J068ntnlWakioDorcas October 13, 2020
The smoke and high winds hampered the work of the fire brigade at an altitude of about 3,900 meters.
The country’s National Park Authority has indicated that these are desert lands where easily flammable plants grow.
About two years ago, another fire hit Kilimanjaro. At the time, National Park Authority agents and neighbors in the area were able to put out the flames in days.
Kilimanjaro has an elevation of about 6000 meters and is one of the top tourist destinations in Tanzania, with about 50,000 people climbing to its summit annually.
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