A local official reported that a minimum of 47 individuals have lost their lives and 85 have sustained injuries due to landslides triggered by flooding in northern Tanzania. The official also cautioned that the number of casualties may increase.
On Sunday, the district commissioner, Janeth Mayanja, reported that the town of Katesh, located 300km (186 miles) north of the capital Dodoma, was hit by heavy rain on Saturday. Regional commissioner Queen Sendiga also stated to local media that as of this evening, there were 47 deaths and 85 injuries in the Manyara area of northern Tanzania. They both cautioned that the number of fatalities may rise.
Mayanja reported that numerous roads in the vicinity were obstructed by mud, water, and debris from fallen trees and rocks. There were also reports of livestock being carried away by the floodwaters.
Tanzania’s leader, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is currently attending the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai, expressed her sympathies and announced that she has instructed for increased government initiatives to aid in the rescue of individuals.
State television, TBC, aired images of numerous homes submerged in flood waters and vehicles trapped in dense mud.
Following an unprecedented period of extreme dryness, eastern Africa has been impacted by several weeks of heavy rainfall and severe flooding. These intense showers have caused over 1 million individuals to be displaced in Somalia and resulted in hundreds of fatalities.
In the month of May, Rwanda experienced severe floods and landslides due to heavy rains, resulting in the loss of 130 lives.
According to scientists, the breakdown of the climate is resulting in increasingly severe and frequent extreme weather occurrences. As a solution, African leaders are advocating for the implementation of new global taxes and modifications to international financial institutions in order to finance efforts towards addressing the climate emergency.
This report includes contributions from Agence France-Presse and Associated Press.
Source: theguardian.com
