38 people killed by flooding in Tanzania

© AFP/Simon Maina

An estimated 3,500 people in Tanzania's northwest have been affected by flooding

Flooding in north-western Tanzania has killed at least 38 people and left hundreds of others homeless, police in the Shinyanga region have told the BBC.

The downpours were accompanied by hail and strong winds meaning many people had no chance of escaping, senior police officer Justus Kamugisha said.

The rains have severely damaged mud houses and blocked roads, making rescue operations difficult, he added.

More than 60 rescued people are being treated for their injuries in hospital.

The BBC's Hassan Mhelela in Tanzania says most people in Shinyanga make their living by subsistence farming.

But the weather has wreaked havoc on the landscape and crops of maize and cotton have been destroyed and livestock killed, he says.

[embedded content]