Kampala: The death toll from a devastating landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in eastern Uganda has risen to 17, with more than 100 people still missing, according to a government spokesperson on Friday. The landslide struck on Wednesday in Bulambuli district, located approximately 300 kilometers (190 miles) east of the capital, Kampala, and buried several homes across multiple villages.
Local television footage depicted large areas covered in deep mud where homes and schools once stood, as survivors mourned their lost loved ones. Rescue teams continued their search for survivors amid the wreckage.
Charles Odongtho, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister, which coordinates disaster response efforts, confirmed that the government had issued warnings to residents in landslide-prone areas ahead of the seasonal rains. Speaking to Reuters, Odongtho expressed shock over the rising death toll, despite the early warning system being in place.
According to the Uganda Red Cross Society, at least 45 households were completely buried, with many others suffering partial damage.
Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi, a lawmaker from Elgon County, shared that his niece, who had recently given birth, was among the victims. “She was buried with the baby,” Mudimi told NTV Uganda in an emotional account.
In response to the disaster, the Ugandan government has ordered the relocation of citizens living in landslide-prone areas. The Red Cross and local police are actively involved in a search-and-rescue operation.
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Since October, Uganda has been experiencing exceptionally heavy rainfall, resulting in widespread flooding and landslides. On Tuesday, torrential rain caused the River Nile to breach its banks, flooding a key highway between Kampala and the northwest, according to the Uganda National Roads Authority and police reports.
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The landslide-prone region is part of Uganda’s mountainous terrain, where deforestation and land clearance for farming have heightened the risk of such disasters. This area has a history of similar incidents, including a devastating avalanche in 2010 that claimed at least 80 lives.
