El Niño destroys 30 homes in Bunda, Tanzania
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Mwananchi
Around 30 homes collapsed in the Mcharo and Kabasa areas of Bunda after heavy El Niño-related rains, with no casualties. Regional governor Evans Mtambi urged residents to remain vigilant, while a footbridge swept away by floodwaters was rebuilt, Mwananchi reports.
The rains that fell on 22 October destroyed around 30 houses in the Mcharo and Kabasa neighbourhoods, in Bunda District, Tanzania. No deaths or injuries were reported, according to the governor of the Mara Region, Brigadier-General Evans Mtambi, quoted by Mwananchi on 23 October.
The rainfall also swept away a bridge in Bunda, but it was rebuilt and traffic resumed normally, Evans Mtambi said. He also reported that residents had rescued children herding livestock in Hunyari, while the water rose to an adult’s chest.
The governor called on the region’s religious leaders to raise awareness among their followers about the precautions to take in response to El Niño-related rains, while continuing their economic activities. The government is also preparing to build a large dam on the Mara River, in Borenga, Tarime District, to reduce the risk of flooding and support irrigation. The project falls under a protocol of the East African Community; a similar structure has already been built in Kenya, according to Mtambi.
The region ordered mines to be inspected in September ahead of the El Niño rains, and Tanzania called on the public in early October to prepare for flooding. These preventive measures were reported in articles on mine inspections in the Mara Region and Tanzania’s preparations for El Niño-related flooding.
