Heavy rains triggered the disaster in Bulambuli district, sweeping away homes and isolating villages
At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and over 100 remain missing after a landslide swept through villages in eastern Uganda’s Bulambuli district, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and police reported on Thursday.
The disaster, triggered by days of heavy rainfall, occurred on Wednesday in the mountainous region about 300km (190 miles) east of Kampala.
According to the Ugandan Red Cross Society, at least 40 homes were buried in the landslide, leaving the affected communities devastated.
“We are shocked that it was this devastating,” said Charles Odongtho, spokesperson for the OPM.
“We have 15 dead and fears are that there are many more bodies still buried,” Odongtho stated. He added that bridges in the area had been destroyed and that roads were submerged, hindering rescue efforts.
Over 100 people are reported missing as mudslides kill at least 15 residents in Bulambuli District, Elgon Sub-region. Local authorities said more than 40 homes were swept away by mudslides and floods following a Wednesday downpour that lasted nearly 10 hours. Four villages in… pic.twitter.com/uUmBVCP8Df
— Daily Monitor (@DailyMonitor) November 28, 2024
Police confirmed that 113 people were reported missing and that impassable roads were delaying the arrival of emergency services. Alongside the 15 fatalities, 15 injured individuals have been rescued and hospitalized. According to the BBC, the Ugandan Red Cross Society noted that at least six of the recovered bodies were children.
READ MORE: Landslide kills ten in DR Congo
Heavy rains have inundated Uganda in recent days, with rivers bursting their banks, flooding schools, churches, and vital infrastructure. On Tuesday, torrential rains caused the River Nile to overflow, flooding a major highway connecting Kampala to the country’s northwest, according to the Uganda National Roads Authority.
????The Time for change is NOW❗️
— Ms. Gladys Rosette Nandutu (@Rosette_Nandutu) November 28, 2024
????It’s with a heavy heart that I share the painful reality happening right now in my home region, Bugisu Subregion in Eastern Uganda.
????️Every rainy season, what should be a blessing turns into devastation. Just yesterday, in Bulambuli district… pic.twitter.com/VrIcZtmcVL
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja issued a disaster alert on X on Wednesday, stating “people are suspected to be missing and some feared buried by slides.”
Uganda’s history of landslides includes the devastating 2010 disaster in Bududa, which claimed around 300 lives.
READ MORE: The colonial legacy of this vital river threatens peace in Africa and beyond
The latest tragedy comes amid similar weather-related disasters in the region. Last Friday, at least ten people, including a mother and her seven children, were killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo following heavy rains that triggered a landslide.
