Fire breaks out on Mount Kilimanjaro, says Tanzania National Parks service

A fire broke out on Mount Kilimanjaro on Sunday afternoon and authorities were trying to contain it, Tanzania National Parks service (Tanapa) said.

The parks service posted a blurry photograph on its Twitter account of what appeared to be Mount Kilimanjaro with several pockets of flames burning on it, with the message: "A fire emerged on Mount Kilimanjaro this afternoon. Efforts in containing it are going on. More details to follow."

Tanapa official Pascal Shelutete told Reuters by phone on Sunday evening that he had no further details.

Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak  at nearly 6,000m above sea level. Around 50,000 tourists climb Kilimanjaro annually.