Almost two weeks after a major fire broke out, the flames continued to rage on Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania on Wednesday. “We are making little progress with the extinguishing work,” said a spokesman for the Tanapa National Park Authority, Charles Ngendo, of the German Press Agency.
According to Tanapa, the fire has already destroyed hundreds of hectares of vegetation. According to Ngendo, the exact damage is not yet known.
Fire at around 3900 meters altitude
The fire broke out on October 21 at an altitude of around 3900 meters. About a week later there was another fire on the north-eastern flank of the mountain. Hundreds of soldiers are now helping the fire brigade with the extinguishing work, says Ngendo. Light rains would have slowed the spread of the flames slightly on Wednesday; however, containment of the major fire is not yet in sight. So far nothing is known about the cause of the fire.
At almost 6000 meters, Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and a popular tourist destination. Around 50,000 people make their way to the summit every year.
