MORE than 1,500-night travellers from northern regions to central, Lake Zone regions and Dar es Salaam yesterday spent seven hours stranded after the Moshi-Arusha highway was blocked by piles of large stones, logs and branches amid heavy rains.

Travelling families and individuals in saloon cars counting into has to cancel journeys as the road was impassable, while passenger buses plying the route at night had to remain stationary from one hour after midnight until 7:30 in the morning.

At that point the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) had moblised a road clearing team that used chainsaws to cut up logs and unblock the road, with the banks of River Sanya Bridge at the meeting point of Hai and Siha districts.

Lengere River at Embukoi, Donyomoruwa ward in Siha District, Kilimanjaro Region had its bridge damaged on both sides from the rains, disrupting transport services.

Embukoi village leader Mathayo Lengere said people in the area need emergency support, while rain is pouring intermittently. 

“Things may become even worse,” he said, meanwhile as in the neighbouring Garagua ward more than 40 households were surrounded by water.

Motta Kyando, the Tanroads regional manager, said that the communication breakdown was due to the heavy rains that continue to hit in the northern regions.

"It is true that there has been a challenge here with road connection cut between Bomang'ombe and Kwa Wasomali,”he said, noting that a clearing team sorted out the situation at the bridge over the Sanya River.

Logs piled up from early the previous night and the team had cleared it a little after seven in the morning yesterday.

Amiri Mkalipa, the Hai district commissioner, said there were no casualties up to the time the bridge was restored, while Hai MP Saashisha Mafuwe said that roads, houses and school buildings had registered damage owing to the rains.

Paul Makonda, the Arusha regional commissioner, urged residents and motorists in particular to take precautions.

 “Let me call upon drivers to park aside whenever they see that the rains are intensifying to avoid a repeat of what happened a few days ago,” he said, referring to a school bus that was swept in a flooded gorge with just a culvert.