At least 47 people were killed and 85 injured in a landslide that struck flash floods in northern Tanzania. Local authorities have warned that the death toll will rise.
District Commissioner Janeth Mayanja said heavy rain fell on Saturday (December 2) in the town of Katesh, about 300 kilometres north of the capital Dodoma. Manyara District Commissioner Queen Sendiga told the local ** that as of the evening of Sunday (3rd), the landslide caused by the floods had killed 47 people and injured another 85 people.
Both warned that the death toll could continue to climb.
Mayanja also said that many roads in the affected areas have been flooded, and that displaced trees and stones have caused road blockages.
Footage from state television station TBC** showed floodwaters inundating large numbers of homes and vehicles sinking in thick mud.
Hassan, Tanzania, who is attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, expressed her condolences to the people in the affected areas and stated that she had ordered "increased relief efforts".
After an unprecedented drought, East Africa has been hit by heavy rains and floods linked to the El Niño phenomenon for several weeks, the report said. Torrential rains in Somalia have left more than 1 million** displaced and hundreds dead.
In May, Rwanda also experienced torrential rains that brought devastating floods and landslides that killed at least 130 people.
Between October 1997 and January 1998, torrential rains accompanied by El Niño caused more widespread flooding, killing more than 6,000 people in five countries in East Africa.
Scientists say climate change is making extreme weather events such as floods, storms, droughts and wildfires longer, more intense and more frequent. The worst effects of the current El Niño phenomenon are expected to be felt by the end of this year and into next year.