The chief of Tanzania's Kilimanjaro National Park has promised to make scaling of Africa's highest mountain peak safer through several measures.

Nyamakumbati Mafuru, chief warden of the Kilimanjaro National Park, said that apart from rehabilitating climbing routes, the park had also decided to purchase mountaineering equipment and life-saving equipment.

The park has just purchased a third ambulance to beef up the efficiency of its rescue operation and has been training its rescue wardens.

Of the 31,899 people who ascended Mount Kilimanjaro between July last year and February this year, 993 climbers suffered from life-threatening health complications caused by altitude sicknesses and had to be rescued.

Mafuru briefed Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner Mohamed Babu that those who had collapsed while trying to scale Mount Kilimanjaro were assisted by park wardens or rushed to local hospitals.

Standing at 5,895 meters above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.

The Kilimanjaro National Park attracts an average of 30,000 foreign tourists annually, most of whom come to scale Mount Kilimanjaro.

So far, 26 kilometers of the Marangu climbing route have been rehabilitated. Marangu is the most popular climbing route on Mount Kilimanjaro. Eighty percent of Kilimanjaro climbers choose this route.

Other rehabilitations included 14 kilometers along the Machame route and 11 kilometers along the Mweka route.

Most fatalities on Mount Kilimanjaro in recent years have been caused by altitude-triggered health complications, according to hospital reports.

Source: Xinhua