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Death Toll From Cyclone Hidaya's Fallout in Tanzania Reaches 166 People

16:47, 10 May 2024

Rasina Musallimova

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Last Saturday, the Tanzanian coastline, including the country's Mtwara, Lindi, Coast and Morogoro regions, was hit by the Cyclone Hidaya. On Sunday, the country's authorities said that "there is no further threat of Tropical Cyclone 'Hidaya'."

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Around 166 people died in Tanzania as a result of the Cyclone Hidaya, seven individuals were injured, the country's Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told the parliament on Thursday.

About 678 houses were ruined and around 877 houses were damaged by the natural disaster, affecting approximately 18,862 people in the country, the prime minister revealed.

"Effects of the cyclone have been witnessed on infrastructure as some roads and bridges have been swept away by the heavy rains, with electric power poles also destroyed. Social service structures such as schools and health facilities have also been destroyed," he was quoted as saying by the local outlet The Citizen.

The prime minister reportedly stated that fishing, farming and businesses were suspended in the country due to the cyclone and the Tanzania's highway, linking the city of Lindi with the capital, Dar es Salaam, was disrupted at a 200-meter section in the country's Somanga town.

"It is estimated that around 2,534 people are stranded. Some passengers and vehicles have returned to Lindi town; others have travelled through the [Tanzanian] Songea route to Dar es Salaam; while others have returned to Dar es Salaam from Somanga," Majaliwa was cited as saying.

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He added that in the country's regions of Kilwa and Mtwara, the weather stations reported unprecedented rainfall levels for the month of May, with 316 millimeters and 99 millimeters recorded respectively. This is reportedly a stark increase from the normal rainfall levels of 96.6 millimeters and 54 millimeters in the region.

"Under normal circumstances, the 316 millimetres of rainfall recorded in Kilwa within 36 hours is equivalent to three years' worth of rainfall for May, specifically for 2024, 2025 and 2026," Majaliwa said.

The level of damages to the electrical infrastructure is evaluated by the authorities, who are also repairing roads and constructing temporary bridges, the prime minister reportedly noted. He also instructed disaster management committees to guarantee that aid and humanitarian assistance are delivered to the victims of the disaster, as per the media.

On May 4, the cyclone caused heavier-than-usual torrential rains in Tanzania. The next day, the country's authorities assured that "there is no further threat of Tropical Cyclone 'Hidaya'."

In the neighboring Kenya, the flood caused by the cyclone killed a total of 228 people, according to the government.