Canadian tourist dies in paragliding accident in Tanzania

A Canadian man has died in a paragliding accident in Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, a popular tourist hotspot in East Africa, a Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) official said on Sunday.

He fell to his death after his parachute failed to open, Paschal Shelutete, senior assistant conservation commissioner at the state-run TANAPA told Reuters.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, is nearly 6,000 meters (20,000 ft) above sea level.

Shelutete named the man as 51-year-old Justin Kyllo, adding that his next of kin and the Canadian High Commission had been informed of the death.

“The accident took place on Saturday at around 9am when the tourist’s parachute failed to open. He climbed the mountain on September 20 and tried to descend it by paragliding,” he said.

Paragliding on Mount Kilimanjaro is a popular activity, where tourists get a chance to mix wildlife safari with a paragliding expedition, and such accidents are rare.

Around 50,000 tourists climb Kilimanjaro annually.

Tourism is the main source of hard currency in Tanzania, generating around $2.5 billion a year.