Tanzania floods kill at least 38, damage roads

Dar es Salaam: Flash floods have killed at least 38 people in north-western Tanzania after strong winds and hail battered villages, the president's office said on Wednesday.

At least another 82 people have been injured in the floods that occurred in Shinyanga region on Tuesday night.

"The floods, which occurred after hail and strong winds, have affected some 3,500 people," Jakaya Kikwete's office said in a statement.

Gravel roads and houses were destroyed, the president's office said.

Local media quoted police saying the floods had also destroyed food crops in the agricultural region located about 1,000 km from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

Several parts of Tanzania have been hit by flash floods at the start of the long rains season that run from March to May.