At least 47 people have been killed and 85 others injured in landslides caused by flooding in northern Tanzania.
The devastating incident took place on Saturday, with local authorities expressing concern that the toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
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District commissioner Janeth Mayanja reported that incessant rain battered Katesh, located 300 kilometres north of the capital, Dodoma, causing destructive landslides.
Queen Sendiga, the regional commissioner in the Manyara area of northern Tanzania, said: “Up to this evening, the death toll reached 47 and 85 injured.”
Rescue teams have faced challenging conditions as numerous roads in the region had been blocked by mud, water, and debris.
Livestock was also reported to have been swept away by the force of the landslides.
Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, currently in Dubai for the Cop28 climate conference, expressed her condolences.
Images broadcast on state television, TBC, revealed the extent of the devastation, with homes submerged in floodwaters and vehicles trapped in thick mud.
This incident follows weeks of torrential rain and flooding in East Africa after an unprecedented drought, with more than 1 million people displaced in Somalia and hundreds dead.
In May of this year, Rwanda experienced devastating floods and landslides, claiming the lives of at least 130 people.
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