Landslides caused by excessive rain have killed at least 47 people and injured 85 others in Northern Tanzania.
The regional commissioner for the Manyara region of Northern Tanzania, Queen Sendiga spoke to the media cautioning that the death toll could grow.
Heavy rains began on Saturday at Katesh, around 300 kilometers north of Dodoma’s city.
Flooding and landslides were triggered by the rainfall.
Following a period of severe drought, East Africa has been battered in recent weeks by torrential rain and flooding caused by the El Nino weather phenomena.
In Somalia, flooding has displaced over a million people, while in Kenya, hundreds have been displaced in the country’s northwest.
According to scientists, climate change can intensify the effects of El Nino.
Extreme weather is becoming more often in the East African region, which is especially vulnerable to climate change.
The landslides occurred as world leaders gathered in Dubai for the COP28 climate talks.
Tanzania’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, expressed sympathies to those impacted by the landslides and said that resources will be deployed to assist victims.
“I have directed all the government resources for search and rescue efforts in order to avoid more deaths,” I have also directed all our defence and security agencies to the scene, and the ministry of health to attend to those injured. The mining ministry will also assess areas where mountains have shown signs of collapsing,” said Mr. Hassan.
