|
Landslides killed American tourists, expert confirms
2006-01-07 09:31:02
By Joyce Mkinga
A landslide on Mt Kilimanjaro caused the deaths of three American mountaineers and injured dozens of other tourists, porters and tour guides early this week, a geologist has said.
Dr Kristoko Msindai, an engineering geologist at the University of Dar es Salaam, said the massive earth movement or gravity could have triggered the landslide, a common phenomenon on high mountains.
He explained that such landslides occur in three forms – falling rocks, land or mudslide and soil creep.
Dr Msindai said landslides are a natural phenomenon, although they could also be triggered by human activities. He called on the government to take deliberate steps to pre-empt a recurrence.
He said that the recent event was the first to occur on Mt Kilimanjaro in a long time and called on relevant arms of the government to establish the cause.
’Our department can assist in interpreting the maps and aerial photographs that were taken many years ago and compare them with the actual situation at present,’ he said.
The authorities concerned should incorporate route planning in their master plan to guard against the hazards of landslide.
Three American mountaineers were killed and dozens of tourists, porters and tour guides seriously injured on Wednesday morning following a strong gust that swept a section of Mt Kilimanjaro that in turn set in motion movement of boulders downhill.
According to Dr Msindai, a strong wind alone could not have moved the rocks downhill and that the landslide must have happened first before the wind.
Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander, Dr Mohamed Chicco, told reporters on Thursday that the dead and the injured were in two groups when they were hit by rolling boulders.
The incident happened as they were climbing the Arrow Glacier on the western part of the mountain, some 4,877 metres above sea level.
He said that the rock hit a group of tourists who were en route to the summit of the mountain, killing them instantly.
|
