AfricaPress-Tanzania: A WOMAN aged 47 years old has been killed and 2,217 other residents rendered homeless after 550 houses were damaged by strong winds in nine wards in Lake Rukwa Rift Valley Basin in Sumbawanga District.
Those affected are residents of Mfinga, Kalumbaleza, Mwadui, Muze, Mtowisa, Zimba, Milepa and Ilemba wards.
Sumbawanga District Commissioner, Dr Halfany Haule, told ‘africa-press’ yesterday that strong winds that lasted the whole night until the wee hours of February 13, this year, damaged structures across the nine wards of Lake Rukwa Rift Valley Basin.
The DC said that the woman killed was identified as Ms Grolia Msongole (47) from Muze Village and body had been transported to Mbeya Region for burial. Dr Haule said the woman had sustained severe multiple injuries after the wall of the house she took refuge in collapsed.
Dr Haule further explained that 20 other residents sustained multiple injuries and were admitted to health facilities. According to DC, most of the 500 houses badly damaged are not safe for human habitation.
“Out of the 550 houses damaged by the windstorm 500 of them are residential houses and 10 are public institutions, including primary and secondary schools and health facility structures,” noted the DC.
He listed some of the public buildings damaged by the storm to include Kalumbaleza B, a health facility, Mnazi Mmoja Primary School and structures with 12 pit latrines and the administration block at Mazoka Primary School whose roofs have been damaged.
“The roofs of two staff quarters at Nkwilo Primary School and the house of Mzia Primary School head teacher have been damaged by the strong winds,” added the DC. He further said that the actual damage caused by the storm had yet to be established.
