Over 130 feared dead after mudslide
On Monday, the Uganda Red Cross said at least 18 people had been killed, but yesterday government officials said the number of fatalities was higher and that 109 people were still missing around Mt Elgon, a major coffee-growing area.
Heavy rain triggered a mudslide on Monday that cut through trees and bushes, burying two villages in mud, officials said, adding that 178 people had survived. The search operation was called off yesterday officials said the chances of finding survivors were slim.
“It is feared the landslide and floods buried about 29 homes with about 30 people dead,” said Stephen Mallinga, the minister of disaster preparedness and refugees.
He said the timing of the disaster — 2pm — had prevented more fatalities as many people were either at the market or at school.
Up to 400,000 people could require humanitarian aid as the rain intensified, forcing them to abandon their homes, he added.
Survivors fretted about the possibility of more landslides.
“I fear that the thing could come again and sweep me away. It happened in seconds. The trees were shaking and the soil was going down,” said 26-year-old Julius Wabuteya. He said he had found his pregnant wife knee-deep in mud and had managed to pull her out and rush her to hospital to seek treatment for her injuries.
Others were not so lucky. Mary Lubango, who wailed in grief at the scene of the landslide, said she had lost several relatives when the landslide struck.
Reuters
