Wednesday December 21, 2011
Local News

Dar es Salaam rains heaviest in 57 years


By DAILY NEWS Reporters, 21st December 2011 @ 11:57,

RAINS on Wednesday continued to pound the Dar es Salaam city, killing at least 13 people and damaging infrastructures with Tanzania Meteorogical Agency (TMA) revealing that the rains are heaviest in 57 years.

Several parts of the city were paralyzed on Wednesday as major roads such as Morogoro was closed temporarily following heavy rains.

Regional authorities sought assistance from the Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF) Navy and Marine Police to conduct rescue operations.

A survey by 'Daily News' in the city and its environs yesterday witnessed massive destruction of bridges and roads connecting suburbs and the city centre, leaving motorists and pedestrians stranded for many hours.

Several houses in Kigogo, Jangwani and Kawe areas were submerged in water due to the heavy rains that have rocked the city for two days consecutively. Public transport was brought to a standstill due to devastation of major bridges linking the city to its suburbs.

Salender Bridge, which connects the city to various areas including Kinondoni, Mwenge, Masaki and Msasani among others, was closed yesterday due to storm water which was overflowing over it.

The situation was the same for Jangwani Bridge, which connects the city to areas such as Magomeni, Manzese, and Ubungo and as far as Mbezi and Kimara, was also closed for several hours as authorities were worried that the movement of people and vehicles across the bridge could be dangerous.

Other bridges that were closed due to destruction by the downpour included Mbezi Bridge, a link for motorists and pedestrians from Mbezi Beach, Tegeta, Boko, Bunju and Bagamoyo areas to the city centre.

Pedestrians were however allowed to cross over the bridge which was under control of Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF)'s soldiers from the nearby Lugalo Barracks.

A Military Police (MP) stationed at one side of the bridge told 'Daily News' on condition on anonymity that the soldiers were ordered to block vehicles from crossing over the bridge, since its sides were destroyed by water and thus posing danger. Motorists from Mbezi Beach areas and beyond were disconnected from Mwenge and other parts of the city starting from mid-morning as all routes were blocked.

Motorists who would otherwise use an alternative route through a road from Africana area to Kawe were also blocked since the bridge linking the road to other areas of the city was also closed and so was a bridge at Mlalakuwa area, near the National Service (JKT) headquarters.

Passengers heading upcountry through Morogoro Road were also stranded for sometime early yesterday due to overflowing waters on Mbezi Kibanda cha Mkaa Bridge. They were stranded at the bridge for almost three hours from 7:00am to 9:30am, when water subdued, allowing vehicles and passengers to pass.

The stoppage led into heavy traffic on both sides of the road with some motorists from Mbezi area opting for an alternative route that connects Mbezi Mwisho area to Samaki area in Mbezi Beach. Vehicles from city centre to Mbezi Mwisho and beyond had no alternative but to wait until the bridge was cleared.

A fire and rescue vehicle belonging to the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) that was taking part to rescue some residents at Kigogo area was about to sink in the Msimbazi River when passing across Kigogo Bridge.

The edge of the bridge collapsed when the vehicles had almost passed through, the collapse of the bridge left the front part of the vehicle hanging while its rear part remained on the part of the bridge that was still intact.

The situation worsened in lowland areas where hundreds of people were standing on rooftops and trees waiting desperately for rescue while others opted to swim to save their lives.

Houses in lowland areas such as Kigogo, Tabata, Jangwani, Ubungo and Kawe were completely destroyed leaving thousands of people homeless.
Eyewitnesses interviewed by the 'Daily News' said that scores of people could have died as many bodies were seen floating while others were retrieved from houses and water bodies.

Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Mr Saidi Meck Sadiki said that so far 13 people had been confirmed dead, admitting that the number could be higher.

"The number could be higher due to reports from eyewitnesses, the situation is terribly disastrous, I urge residents in lowlands to vacate immediately while we're assessing the situation", he explained.

The RC stated that the government had set aside Msimbazi Secondary School, Mchikichini Primary and Secondary School, Muhimbili Primary School,Tabata school, Mzambarauni Primary School, Rutihinda Primary School and Kibasila Secondary School as temporary shelter for homeless people.

"We're cooperating with Red Cross and other organizations to make sure that such places receive all basic services. And TANESCO have switched off all transformers in flood prone areas to avoid other tragedies," he noted.

Mr Sadiki said that police helicopters had started dropping lifejackets in flooded areas and that two TPDF Navy boats and crew had been deployed to Jangwani and Oyesterbay areas to beef up rescue operations.

The Head of Traffic Police Unit, Mohammed Mpinga, hinted that several bridges had been destroyed, urging Dar es Salaam residents to remain indoors.

The TMA Director General, Dr Agnes Kijazi, told journalists that Dar es Salaam recorded the highest in 24-hour-day downpour of 156.4 millimetres since 1954.

"On average we get 118 millimetres per month in Dar es Salaam but today just in one day it is far beyond the monthly average... this is not normal," Dr Kijazi observed.

Dr Kijazi noted in 1999 the city experienced 110.3 millimetres, on 16th December 2006 it was 108.9 millimetre and yesterday (Tuesday) it was 60 millimetres. Kibaha recorded 60 millimetres yesterday.

According to her, the rains were caused by the building up of pressure over the Indian Ocean and Congo forests which created heavy clouds along the coastline.

She warned that there will also be heavy rains today but not as much as yesterday and that things could go back to normal from tomorrow.
Other regions to be affected by heavy downpour include Morogoro, Tanga, Coast and Zanzibar.

Dr Kijazi said southern highlands regions (Iringa, Mbeya, Sumbawanga), those in central zone (Dodoma and Singida) and West (Kigoma and Tabora) are also expected to experience rains above normal averages with occasional heavier rains.

"Other parts of the country will continue to receive normal rains during this period," she noted. The DG warned the public to take all precautions during this period by following up weather updates from TMA so that they can remain safe.

She noted that rains were caused by convectional clouds accompanied with thunderstorms which are dangerous for aviation transport. Meanwhile, the ongoing rains in Iringa region have disconnected the region and Dar es Salaam following destruction of Dar es Salaam-Iringa Highway.

Hundreds of passengers heading to Southern Highland zone from Dar es Salaam were stranded yesterday as Kitonga (Iringa) section of the road was damaged. In another incident, two people have drowned while 48 houses were demaged by rains in Mbeya Region, Police in Mbeya have said.

The Mbeya Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Advocate Nyombi, told the 'Daily News' over the phone on Wednesday that several roads were also damaged in Mbeya municipality, saying the assessment was still being carried out to establish the extent of the damage.

He named the deceased as Brian Sanga, 31, a resident of Ikuti in Mbeya municipality and Isack Sunday, 5, who is a resident of Izungwa One in Mbeya Rural. He said the former died when he was returning to his home on Tuesday and the latter died while at home on Monday.

Reports from Dodoma have it that over 75 families have been rendered homeless in Dodoma municipality and over 30 families are homeless in Mpwapwa municipality following heavy rains in the region.

Thanks Kathi

Very sad for those affected.

That is very widespread rain.Has been flooding around Arusha too. Unusually wet short rains this year.

Thanks and Merry Christmas, Chris