ARUSHA, Tanzania, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), responsible for the management of the East African nation's 22 national parks, on Saturday announced that it had closed down a section of a trail used by some climbers of Mount Kilimanjaro, including tourists, because of ongoing heavy rains.
TANAPA, headquartered in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha, said in a statement late Saturday that it had closed down a section of a trail called Arrow Glacier used by some climbers through Machame, Umbwe, Lemosho and Londorosi after the rains had caused landslides and slippery rocks, which was dangerous for users of the trail.
The statement said an inspection carried out by a team from the Kilimanjaro National Park in collaboration with experts from the National Outdoor Leadership School, dealing with mountain safety issues, had shown that the trail was not safe for climbers of the mountain, Africa's highest peak.
The section of the trail will remain closed down until the rains stop, said the statement, advising climbers to use other trails.
According to official data, Mount Kilimanjaro, one of Tanzania's leading tourist destinations, is about 5,895 meters above sea level, and roughly 50,000 trekkers from across the world attempt to reach the summit of the mountain annually. ■
