At least 65 people have lost their lives due to landslides and flooding triggered by heavy rainfall in northern Tanzania, as announced by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Tuesday. This revises down the toll reported by regional officials a day earlier, reducing it from 68.The hillside town of Katesh, situated 300km (185 miles) north of the capital Dodoma, experienced destructive torrential downpours over the weekend, washing away vehicles and collapsing buildings.

Prime Minister Majaliwa provided an update, stating, "Two more bodies were found in the ongoing search, bringing the death toll to 65." Television broadcasts depicted debris, including furniture, strewn across streets, with vital infrastructure such as roads, power lines, and communication networks disrupted.

James, a resident who tragically lost his wife and daughter, recounted the harrowing experience: "From around five in the morning [on Sunday], I heard loud bangs outside the house. When we tried to escape, it was too late because mud, trees, and stones were rolling from the mountain."

Approximately 5,600 people have been displaced by the landslides, according to Mobhare Matinyi, a government spokesperson. Rashid Ntandu, who lost his house, sought refuge in a school-turned-center in Katesh, expressing concern that more bodies might be buried beneath the mud.

The disaster prompted President Samia Suluhu Hassan to cut short her visit to Dubai for the COP28 climate talks, with her office indicating that she would visit the affected area on Thursday.

Tanzania, along with its East African neighbors Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, is grappling with flash floods caused by torrential rains linked to the El Nino weather pattern. These floods exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the region as it emerges from the worst drought in four decades, leaving millions hungry.

It's worth noting that between October 1997 and January 1998, widespread flooding caused more than 6,000 deaths in five countries in the region. Scientists emphasize that human-induced climate change is making extreme weather events such as flooding, storms, droughts, and wildfires longer, more intense, and more frequent.