Death toll in Hanang disaster climbs to 80

Hanang. The number of deaths caused by mudslides from Mount Hanang has climbed to 80 as more bodies were recovered yesterday.The government also said people settling or carrying out economic activities in an area extending between 60 and 300 metres from the course of the Jorodom River will have to be relocated for safety reasons.Speaking to reporters yesterday, the government’s chief spokesman, Mr Mobhare Matinyi, said after a scientific study on the cause of the disaster, the government experts have completed setting up a buffer zone by following the course of the Jorodom River that runs down Mount Hanang.“The area is between 60 and 300 metres, depending on where the land sits geographically. Residents will neither be allowed to build residential homes nor carry out economic activities in this area because it is a dangerous area,” he said.“After an extensive study on the path through which the mudslides passed from Mount Hanang, it was found out the area is to be avoided, and the residents who were living in that area will now not be allowed to return there,” Mr Matinyi added.Speaking about the damage assessment, he said the government has already conducted a scientific study using coordinates that enabled the drawing of an accurate map of the affected area after inspecting it on foot.Regarding the construction of houses for the victims by the government, Mr Matinyi called upon the affected residents to be patient, saying the process and an analysis of how the government will help them get new homes will be provided.On the road infrastructure, he said currently 16 kilometres in the town of Katesh are being cleaned up, and the roads leading to the areas around the edge of the mountain are being worked on by the Tanzania Rural and Urban Agency (Tarura), the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads), and the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF).He said the government is grateful to all Tanzanians who volunteered to help those affected by the disaster, asking them to continue doing so while directing that the assistance should now be construction materials because, after recovery, they will need to start a new life.The deputy Minister for Health, Dr Godwin Mollel, said they continue to provide education in camps and unaffected settlements in order to avoid epidemic diseases.He said so far they have already reached more than 750 households, including distributing water purifiers to avoid such diseases. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).