At least 155 killed in Tanzania as heavy rains pound East Africa

More than 200,000 people and 51,000 households have been affected by the rains, Tanzania’s prime minister said.

Flooding and landslides in Tanzania caused by weeks of heavy rain have killed 155 people and injured 236 others, the country’s prime minister has said, as intense downpours continue across East Africa.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told Parliament that the El Nino climate pattern has worsened the ongoing rainy season, causing the flooding and destroying roads, bridges and railways.

“The heavy El Nino rains, accompanied by strong winds, floods and landslides in various parts of the country, have caused significant damage,” Majaliwa told Parliament on Thursday.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate pattern typically associated with increased heat worldwide, as well as drought and heavy rains.

The devastating effects of the rains were “primarily due to environmental degradation”, Majaliwa added, blaming deforestation, unsustainable farming practices such as “slash and burn” agriculture and unregulated livestock grazing.