AT least seven children were killed and hundreds rendered homeless after flash floods hit Ulanga District, Morogoro Region, authorities have said.

Salim Alaudin Hasham, the MP for the area, told journalists here yesterday that so far, nearly 400 people are homeless and 259 houses are surrounded by water, while upwards of 5,000 hectares of planted rice farms are submerged in water.

Since the rains started in November no support has been given to affected people in the low-lying area, he said, elaborating on the negative impacts of the flash floods in the rice-producing area.

Roads in the district were extensively damaged, while the district authorities have in response put up canvases for people rendered homeless at Mbuga, Ilonga and Ketaketa wards to find temporary shelter, he said.

The MP was liaising with district officials for food deliveries and clean water for distribution to flood victims, where 40 out of 70 waterlogged households were rendered homeless.

Their houses collapsed and they will have to be provided with alternative sites as their locations are completely engulfed with water, he said, pointing at life being difficult as vehicles cannot get to Ulanga.

The road from Lupilo to Mwaya is impassable and food prices are twice their previous levels, he said, asserting that the estimated 5000 acres of rice farms now flooded would produce more than 500 tonnes of the produce, thus the people live in fear of hunger.

He demanded that the situation be treated as an emergency as in other districts, implicitly directing his remarks at Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, the chairman of the National Disaster Relief committee operating under the PMO.

Edson Williamson, the district council chairman, said the ongoing rains have damaged infrastructure in education and health sectors, with three primary schools forced to close, listing then as Kivukoni A, Tulizamoyo, and Mikochi.

“Standard four and seven pupils have been shifted to the new Kivukoni B Primary School which is also uncompleted, to continue with classes,” he said.

Alinanuswe Kyamba, the regional manager for the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) said contractors have been deployed in all districts working on all areas facing challenges, include repairing damaged roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

However, there are repairs that require that the rains are gone as one can’t put soil, gravel or sand on the road while it is raining as the road becomes impassable, he said.

Saida Mahugu, the district executive director (DED), said she had already submitted a report to the relevant authorities on various challenges facing the district “and they are working to address some of them.”