At least 15 people have lost their lives, and 113 remain missing after devastating landslides engulfed homes in six villages in eastern Uganda, according to police reports.
Rescue teams have managed to save 15 injured individuals, who are now receiving treatment at Buluganya Health Center.
The Uganda Red Cross Society confirmed on Thursday that 13 bodies had been recovered, with efforts ongoing to locate more victims after the landslides buried 40 homes.
Local authorities fear the death toll could climb to 30, as reported by local media.
Triggered by heavy rains on Wednesday night, the landslides occurred in Bulambuli, a mountainous district about 280 kilometers, 173 miles, east of Kampala, where such disasters are frequent. Over 100 people were still unaccounted for on Thursday.
A journalist on the scene told The Associated Press that local officials were working to deploy an excavator to aid the rescue operation. However, access has been hindered by mud-covered roads and ongoing rainfall.
The landslide-affected area spans approximately 50 acres (20 hectares), encompassing homesteads and farmland on a slope.
Photos and videos shared on social media showed residents frantically digging through the mud in search of survivors. Some homes were completely buried, with only rooftops visible above the debris.
The Daily Monitor reported that most of the bodies recovered so far were children. Meanwhile, the prime minister’s office issued a disaster alert on Wednesday, noting that heavy rains had severed major roads across the country.
In a related incident, two rescue boats capsized on Wednesday during a mission on the River Nile, where the Pakwach bridge was submerged.
