Dar assesses rain damage

After three consecutive days of heavy rains that caused flash floods in Dar es Salaam, authorities yesterday started assessing the damage caused by the torrent.

It has been reported that eight people lost their lives.

A statement issued at the end of a one-day meeting that brought together Dar es Salaam region’s senior government officials and defence and security personnel said over 100 houses were submerged, leaving 300 people homeless.

The statement signed by the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Mr Suleiman Kova, said 25 of the “homeless” persons were given temporary shelter at Mchikichini Secondary School and the rest sought refuge to relatives.

The meeting ordered the temporary closure of some feeder roads after most of them were damaged.

Mbagala Kuu was also one of the worst affected areas, where a bridge connecting Mwanamtoti and Sabasaba kwa Mpili was swept away by floods, disrupting transport.

Mbagala Kuu ward executive officer Menaye Kipinga told The Citizen that they had reported the damage caused by the rains to the office of the Dar es Salaam regional commissioner but they had not received any response.

 “Two families have lost their houses with others getting minor damages and some parts of infrastructure damaged. The matters have been reported  to authorities but there has been no response,” said.

A spot check by this newspaper to various primary schools found poor attendance because  some bridges were washed away.

Mr Isaac Mtakimwa, a teacher at Mbagala Kuu Primary School, said almost a quarter of pupils did not go to school because most of them lived across a river which was flooded.

Also half of pupils at Maendeleo Primary School were absent, according to headteacher Odemary Mosha.

“Our school has 3,068 pupils but today we have less than 1,000 pupils, with most of them reporting late,” said Mosha yesterday.See More