Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is cutting short her attendance at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, UAE after landslides hit her country over the weekend, killing 57 people so far.

A statement from Suluhu’s spokesperson Zuhura Yunus on Monday evening said over 80 others had been hospitalized with injuries. Yunus said the Tanzanian leader was returning to handle the catastrophe closely.

“President Samia, who has been in Dubai for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has decided to cut short her trip and return to the country as soon as possible to deal with the situation closely,” the statement said.

COP28 kicked off on November 30 and runs until December 12.

Around 5,600 people have been affected, Ms Yunus said, adding that the president had ordered her government to pay for the funerals of those killed by the flooding and landslides.

Suluhu also directed the government to cover hospital fees for the wounded and temporary housing for those whose homes were ravaged by the landslides.

Heavy rainfall over the weekend washed away vehicles and brought down buildings in the hillside town of Katesh, some 300 kilometres north of the capital Dodoma.

The AFP news agency reported that debris from houses, including furniture, was strewn across streets, with key roads, power lines and communication networks disrupted.

Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are battling flash floods caused by heavy rains linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon.

In November, heavy rainfall in Tanzania resulted in deaths and the destruction of property in the main city, Dar es Salaam and other areas. The country's meteorological department warns the rains will continue this month.