Heavy rains hit Tanzanian capital

Over 13 people are said to have lost their lives in floods after strangely heavy rains hit Dar es Salaam, capital of the east African country of Tanzania.

In the West African country of Nigeria, the Christmas period is characterized by very low rain and dry winds, but in Tanzania, properties have been destroyed due to heavy rains. "We have lost all our properties, in fact we are left with empty hands. Everything in the house has been lost including television sets and refrigerators," Taabu Kibwa a woman who had her whole house covered by water told the BBC. Several major roads linking the centre of the city’s business districts to the suburbs are reportedly flooded, with some bridges damaged. According to the BBC, the Tanzania Meteorological Agency TMZ has told residents of the city's valleys to move as it warned that the downpours are set to continue. "We have been having heavy rainfall the day before yesterday, yesterday and today - we will therefore have more floods," said Agness Kijazi, TMA's director, according to the BBC. Africa Review reports that Red Cross teams have been tasked to distribute relief food, as other local relief agencies focus on rescue operations.