Five people have died after a helicopter crashed on Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. The horror crash happened on Christmas Eve, close to the famous peak in Tanzania. Authorities said the aircraft came down near one of the most popular tourist climbing routes at around 5:45 p.m. 

Police said it was returning from a rescue mission to pick up patients from the mountain, and witnesses reported that the helicopter fell for several minutes after taking off from a helipad. Two foreigners, who police said had been picked up in a medical evacuation, were among those killed.

A local doctor, a tour guide and a pilot were also killed in the crash. The helicopter came down between the mountain’s Barafu Camp and Kibo Summit at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters (13,100 feet).

Kilimanjaro regional police commander Simon Maigwa told journalists that the aircraft was used for medical evacuation services. 

The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority stated that investigations had commenced in accordance with international safety regulations “to determine the circumstances and probable cause” of the accident.

The Tanzania Times reports a number of mountain guides who were on the peak diverted to the crash site to see if they could help any survivors. 

The publication said unconfirmed reports suggested the dead included two Czech nationals who had been rescued from the mountain, two Tanzanian nationals and a Zimbabwean pilot. 

Travel company Altezza released a statement about the crash, saying its guides were among those who attempted a rescue.

A message on the company website read: “Altezza mountain guides who were on the mountain at the time of the incident moved toward the crash site to initiate a rescue mission.

“Unfortunately, there were no survivors. The victims are reported to include the pilot, a paramedic, two clients and one mountain guide. There were no clients of Altezza Travel on this flight.

“Altezza Travel extends its deepest condolences to all those who lost their lives and to their families during this tragic event.”

Aircraft accidents on Mount Kilimanjaro are rare, with the last recorded incident being in November 2008, when four people died.