DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 6 — Tanzania has temporarily suspended the use of the Rongai Route for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, following an ongoing wildfire, bringing the total number of closed climbing routes to three, the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) said in a statement issued Monday night.
The suspension of the Rongai Route follows the earlier temporary closure of the Lemosho and Londorosi routes after a wildfire broke out in the Sangarini-Kamwanga area and spread toward Shira within Kilimanjaro National Park.
TANAPA has advised tourists who planned to use the Rongai Route to take alternative routes, including Machame, Marangu and Umbwe, in line with established park procedures. Firefighting and containment operations are still underway, with TANAPA working closely with relevant agencies and other stakeholders to bring the blaze under control, the statement said.
The authority said it was closely monitoring the situation and deploying necessary resources to safeguard tourists, staff and other stakeholders, while protecting the mountain’s flora and fauna.
The latest fire comes weeks after another wildfire broke out on Sept. 3 in the Kikererwa area of the park, near the Tanzania-Kenya border. That earlier blaze was reported to be more than 90 percent contained by Sept. 5. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
