(MENAFN) Tanzania faced a significant infrastructure setback as a vital 396-kilometer highway linking the bustling port city of Dar es Salaam with the southern regions of Lindi and Mtwara was forced to shut down on Sunday. The closure followed a series of flash floods that ravaged the area, resulting in the destruction of at least four main bridges. Joseph Mwasabeja, the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force commander for the Lindi region, confirmed the closure, emphasizing that the highway would remain inaccessible until further notice. The sudden onset of flash floods was attributed to intense overnight rainfall triggered by tropical cyclone Hidaya, which had already made landfall on Mafia Island earlier in the weekend.
Mwasabeja elaborated that the destructive floods had swept away crucial bridges spanning over the Mbwemkuru, Somanga, Mikereng'ende, and Matandu Rivers in Kilwa district, exacerbating the region's transportation woes. Meanwhile, Mohamed Nyundo, the district commissioner of Kilwa, lamented the widespread impact of the floods, noting that they had submerged numerous residences across seven villages. The resulting displacement of villagers and extensive damage to hundreds of hectares of farmland underscored the severity of the situation, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive relief efforts to mitigate the aftermath of the natural disaster.
The Tanzanian Meteorological Authority had earlier declared the weakening of tropical cyclone Hidaya following its landfall on Mafia Island, a development anticipated to alleviate the immediate threat of the cyclone. However, the damage inflicted by the accompanying heavy rains and subsequent flash floods had already taken a toll on vulnerable regions along the country's Indian Ocean coastline. The affected areas, including Mtwara, Lindi, Coast, Tanga, and Dar es Salaam, now face the daunting task of recovery and reconstruction in the wake of the calamitous weather event.
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