RUNGWE DISTRICT — Landslides triggered by heavy rainfall have killed at least 20 people in southern Tanzania in recent days, with rainfall and high winds causing landslides that destroyed houses early Wednesday in the Mbeya region, a district administrator said.

A one-and-a-half-year-old child was among the victims of the landslides in southern Tanzania, a district administrator said. The military was deployed to assist emergency rescue services.

Residents of landslide-prone areas were urged to evacuate, a district administrator said. Meteorologists predict more rainfall in the days ahead, a district administrator said.

The Climate Prediction and Applications Centre of IGAD said that the March-May rainy season has a 45% chance of above-average rainfall across most countries in the region. Countries expected to be affected by the above-average rainfall range from Uganda to Djibouti, the Climate Prediction and Applications Centre of IGAD said.

The landslides occurred in the Rungwe district within the Mbeya region. Tanzania's southern regions are particularly vulnerable to landslides during periods of heavy rainfall due to the mountainous terrain and loose soil conditions in the area.

Emergency response teams continue to search for additional victims while authorities monitor weather conditions for potential further incidents. The deployment of military personnel reflects the severity of the disaster and the need for additional rescue capacity beyond civilian emergency services.