At least one person has been killed, 39 made homeless, 117 houses damaged and 315 other houses submerged in water by flash floods due to heavy rains in Tanzania's southern region of Mtwara, officials said on Wednesday.

Christina Sunga, Mtwara regional commander of Fire and Rescue Force, said the victim, riding on a motorcycle, was swept away by the flash floods in the Mtwara-Mikindani municipality on Tuesday evening.

Mtwara regional commissioner Gelasius Byakanwa said in an interview with Xinhua that the floods have left 39 people homeless, damaged 117 houses and 315 houses were submerged in water.

The number of people made homeless could be more because some of them sought refuge from relatives and neighbors, he said, adding that authorities were still counting the loss caused by the floods.

He said people affected by the floods had been given makeshift shelters in 13 primary and secondary schools in the Mtwara-Mikindani municipality.

Byakanwa appealed to people affected by the floods to move to higher ground areas for their safety.