DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and hundreds of others were left homeless on Thursday after more than 24 hours of heavy rain in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, police said.
The rains also destroyed infrastructure, including roads and bridges, as business came to a standstill in Dar es Salaam, a city with a population of about 5 million.
Lazaro Mambosasa, the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, said the two were killed after they were swept away by flash floods.
He said more than 70 houses were destroyed by flash floods, leaving hundreds of people homeless.
"Most of the victims sought temporary shelters in schools and churches," said Mambosasa.
"We don't have the exact number of killed people and those left homeless. We are still gathering the figures," added the senior police officer.
Usafiri Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit, a public transport company ferrying majority of city dwellers to and from work, suspended services for hours after roads were temporarily flooded.
Last week, the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) issued an alert over oncoming seasonal rains expected to begin in November saying they might lead into floods and outbreak of water borne diseases in some parts of the east African nation.
TMA said in a statement that incidences of short periods of heavy rainfall may lead into floods with various impacts to the society, adding that the seasonal rains will last from November to April 2018.
TMA advised disaster management authorities, humanitarian organizations and other stakeholders to take necessary mitigation measures, including good practice in livelihood activities, environmental conservation, land use and urban planning.
