Ongoing rains have damaged a bridge in Kagera region connecting Tanzania and neighboring countries of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an official said on Friday.

The bridge on the Biharamulo-Lusahunga road was damaged by a flooding on Thursday evening, paralyzing passenger and cargo transport between the countries, said Marco Gaguti, Kagera regional commissioner.

“Engineers from the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) were working round the clock to make a diversion pending the maintenance of the washed away bridge,” said Gaguti.

He added that the road was an economic lifeline for the economy of the east African region and called for urgent efforts to repair it.

On March 2, rains washed away another bridge on the border between Morogoro and Dodoma regions in central Tanzania leaving tens of hundreds of passengers and cargo stranded without getting basic necessities.  (Xinhua)