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Rombo blast leaves 60 homeless
2005-09-19 07:29:06
By Adam Ihucha, Rombo
At least 60 people have been left homeless after a blast flattened their homes at Tarakea in Rombo District.
Nobody was injured in the blast which took place as engineers were extracting ballast for the construction of the Tarakea-Rongai-Kamwanga road last week.
Ten houses were destroyed and an unspecified number of livestock killed in the incident.
Rombo District Commissioner Raymond Mushi confirmed that the blast caused extensive damage to the surrounding area and added that the district administration was working to assist those affected.
He said a sawmill operated by Tarakea Women’s Association (Tawosa) was also extensively damaged in the blast.
Mushi added that it seemed that something went ’terribly wrong’ as engineers with the Chinese construction firm Sietco were carrying out a controlled explosion to extract ballast.
The DC said the district administration had asked the Tanzania Roads Agency (Tanroads) to carry out an assessment of the damage so that all those who lost property could be compensated as soon as possible.
’I’m still waiting for their report and once I get it, we’ll ask the company to compensate the victims without any delay,’ he said.
One of the victims, Nora Anthony Richard, told The Guardian that it was incredible that no one was hurt in the explosion which rocked their village.
She said they returned home to find their house destroyed and had to seek refuge in a neighbouring village.
President Benjamin Mkapa laid the foundation stone for the 37km Tarakea-Rongai-Kamwanga road last month.
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