Oct 13, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — A fire that broke out on Sunday on Mountain Kilimanjaro has since destroyed many acres of land and property despite attempts by the Tanzanian fire fighters and nearby communities to contain the incident.
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A fire burns on Mount Kilimanjaro Tanzania, oct 11, 2020 (Photo credit: courtesy image/Getty Image)
The Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) communications official Pascal Shelutete confirmed that despite the efforts, the team has not been able to put out the fire which could be seen as far as 30km away in Moshi town.
“As I speak the fire is still on but we are working around the clock but we haven’t been able to put it out, despite the increase in the number of personnel,” said Shelutete.
Shelutete added that the Tanzanian fire fighters and members of the public have been trying to put out the fire that has been consuming the slopes of Africa’s tallest mountain.
Kilimanjaro National Park’s (Kinapa) Angella Nyaki told the media that strong winds were affecting their mission to contain the fire.
“The problem is that the fire was huge causing a large area to be burnt due to the strong winds but we are doing our best to limit its spread,” said Ms Nyaki.
The parks authority said in a statement that it had taken “every step to make sure that the fire will not affect the lives of tourists, their equipment, porters and tour guides”.
Mount Kilimanjaro, which is 5,895m (19,341 feet) high, is a popular tourist destination and tens of thousands of people climb it every year.
