MARA, Tanzania – In Serengeti National Park, tourists were rescued by air and heavy machinery after floods forced by the rains cut off roads and blocked vehicles in the park.
A deluge over northern Tanzania led to treacherous floods throughout Serengeti National Park, stranding some tourists and resulting in an evacuation.
Park authorities said water rising from seasonal rivers and the overflowing of roads made several safaris incapable of moving.
Aircraft were utilized to remove visitors from the park, while helicopters transported those trapped. Additionally, ground crews worked with bulldozers and graders to clear away roads which had collapsed due to the rainfall, as well as help transport tourists from the remote area.
Officials state that due to erosion from the floods in some parts of the park, some dirt roads normally used by vehicles broke apart. As a result, normally transportation in those portions of the park had been rendered impossible.
The disaster which emergency teams from the park and the tourism industries had been dealing with for several hours caused more visitors to be moved from areas in risk as the weather continued.
Some people were transported by air after all the roads in Serengeti National Park could no longer be navigated.
Although there were no deaths confirmed by officials, the danger persists in parts of the park with swift, flowing currents and rising water.
The Serengeti has not been shut down despite threatening floods to tourists. Tanzania will stay open, and emergency teams will focus on rescue missions and road repairs to damaged roads caused by heavy rain, although authorities say it does not affect tourism significantly enough for them to close the park. Officials stated in Tanzania that it would damage business with tour operators for them to close it down as several safaris are currently scheduled in Serengeti. Rescue missions continue throughout the park. It has taken hours for roads that allow access in and out of the park to be rebuilt after many parts of dirt paths crumbled to the floodwaters. Aircraft and bulldozers have been helping the rescue mission by moving people in a safe location; Aircraft are flying stranded guests away as the routes in the park become impassable. It was reported that no tourists died although danger was apparent due to current speeds and quick water levels.
