Death toll rises following Uganda landslides

URC photo

By

Gloria Nakiyimba

The death toll of people killed by landslides in Uganda on Thursday has risen to 50. Hundreds are however feared dead and others missing after landslides buried homes and schools in the eastern district of Bududa, the massive landslides caused by heavy rains.

Uganda Red Cross Society spokesperson Irene Nakasita said the situation in the affected area remains tense and the death toll is likely to keep changing due to rains that continue to pound the district in the hilly Elgon mountain region.

“We are however sure that numbers are likely to increase because the rains are still on and the disaster has actually stressed the whole Bukalasi sub county” said Nakasita.

The Search and rescue continues in the communities as more people report missing family members. However the Red Cross rescue team is still finding it difficult to access the different affected villages.

The most affected villages are Suume, Nnayinza, Namalira, Nyekhe, Malanda, Shishambwa, Nanyenga, and Bunamwamba.

“Our assessment team has been dispatched to go on ground although they are also challenged with the heavy rains that are causing restraint to their movement. The place is quite soggy and very inaccessible but we are trying all we can to reach there and conduct a thorough assessesment which will inform our response’ she told Tuck Magazine reporter in Kampala.

According to Martin Owor the commissioner Disaster management in the Office of the Prime Minister, River Suume burst its banks following heavy rainfall and landslide up the mountain. In a statement released Thursday evening, it rolled big boulders through a village in Bukalasi Sub County sweeping away houses and gardens killing several people.

The Office of the Prime Minister dispatched team to the area led by Brigadier Steven Oluka. The team is working with the district disaster rescue and recovery team. The OPM has started distributing relief supplies including blankets, tents, tarpaulins, food, source pans to the survivors of the Thursday disaster.

Gloria Nakiyimba

Gloria has experience spanning more than five years in Journalism, particularly in field reporting, editing, newscasting and management. She is currently working with Capital Radio Limited [91.3 Capital FM and 96.3 Beat FM] as Head of News, a position she has held since 2010.

Gloria previously worked as the Kampala Correspondent for Radio France International [RFI] generating local story leads with international inference for RFI’s global audience. She also served as Political Editor for The Weekly Mail Newspaper as well as Online Content Editor for the California based Ugandan broadcaster KubutakaRadio.com.