Landslides in Tanzania due to heavy rain have already killed 76 people

The death toll from a landslide caused by heavy rains in northern Tanzania last week has risen to 76, President Samia Suluhu Hassan said this Thursday during a visit to the site.

The disaster claimed the lives of 76 people in the Katesh area, about 300 kilometers north of the capital Dodoma, triggering massive landslides that swept away dozens of cars and houses, the head of state lamented after meeting with survivors.

Heavy rains “are also a warning sign for the government, which must take necessary measures to detect the signs and warn people in advance to avoid such serious consequences,” he continued, adding that this “disaster has also destroyed infrastructure and the economy.” activity”.

“Our task now is to restore the situation here,” he said, interrupting a trip to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai to visit the site.

Footage broadcast by local TV channels showed streets littered with destroyed houses, and traffic and power supplies were disrupted.

The head of state of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, sent condolences to the president of Tanzania.

“In this moment of pain, I would like to express, on behalf of the people and government of the Republic of Mozambique and myself, our sincere condolences,” Filipe Nyusi said in a note released by the President of Mozambique.

East Africa has been plagued for weeks by heavy rains and flooding linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon, which has displaced more than a million people in Somalia and led to more than 300 deaths in the region.

El Niño, usually associated with rising temperatures, drought in some parts of the world and heavy rain in others, is expected to continue into April.