Newsdeck

Newsdeck

At least 31 dead after Uganda ‘landslide’: official

An aerial photo shows the aftermath of a large landslide that occurred after an earthquake hit Hokkaido, in Atsuma, northern Japan, 06 September 2018. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a strong earthquake of 6.7 magnitude jolted Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido in the early hours of 06 September causing large landslides and blackouts. A blackout over Hokkaido is affecting almost 3 million households. EPA-EFE/JIJI PRESS JAPAN OUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/ NO ARCHIVES

At least 31 people have been found dead in eastern Uganda after heavy rains caused a landslide, a government official said Friday.

“The number of confirmed dead as of now is 31 people,” Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness Martin Owor told AFP.

The disaster took place on Thursday, and also involved a river bursting its banks in the town of Bukalasi in the Bududa district, sending muddy water coursing through a market.

Nathan Tumuhamye, director of an organisation which helps communities recover from natural disasters and conflict, told AFP that “four to five villages”, and possibly a primary school had been affected.

Uganda Red Cross spokeswoman Irene Nakasiita on Thursday shared photos of the scene of what she described as a “massive landslide” on WhatsApp, including images of dismembered corpses caked in mud laid out by the river.

Some of the bodies have been partly covered with banana leaves by members of the public.

“I have received the sad news of landslides wreaking havoc in Bududa District, killing a yet-to-(be)specified number of residents. The government has dispatched rescue teams to the affected areas,” President Yoweri Museveni wrote on Twitter.

Bududa district in the foothills of Mount Elgon, which lies on the border between Uganda and Kenya, is a high risk area for landslides.

At least 100 people were reported killed in a landslide in Bududa in March 2010 and in 2012 landslides destroyed three villages.

Government efforts to move vulnerable people to neighbouring districts have faced resistance from residents.  DM

Gallery

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Become a Maverick Insider

This could have been a paywall

On another site this would have been a paywall. Maverick Insider keeps our content free for all.

Become an Insider

Every seed of hope will one day sprout.

South African citizens throughout the country are standing up for our human rights. Stay informed, connected and inspired by our weekly FREE Maverick Citizen newsletter.