Tanzania to use planes to put out Kilimanjaro fire

Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, is a major tourist attraction

Tanzania says more helicopters and planes will be deployed from Thursday to put out the fires on Mount Kilimanjaro, which have been raging for five days.

Firemen and volunteers are "struggling", according to Tourism Minister Hamisi Kigwangalla, as efforts to extinguish the flames have not been completely successful.

Progress has been hampered by the presence of strong winds and acres of shrubs and dry grass.

"The task is bigger and harder than we thought," tweeted Mr Kigwangalla.

More than 500 volunteers have been up fighting the blaze on Africa's tallest mountain.

Although the cause of the fires is unknown, the National Parks Authority said there were indications that it could have been caused by people who were cooking at a resting area on the mountain.

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