Ugandan landslides kill 29 as heavy rains take a toll

Landslides in eastern Uganda killed at least 29 people and more victims were believed to be buried under mounds of mud, the Uganda Red Cross said yesterday.

The landslides occurred in the early hours of Monday after unseasonably heavy rains near the border with Kenya, flattening hundreds of houses, the Red Cross said in a statement.

“We have so far confirmed 23 people dead in Mabono and Meru villages in Bulambuli district, but we have only been able to retrieve 15 bodies. The landslide occurred at about 1am,” said Catherine Ntabbade, a spokeswoman for the Uganda Red Cross.

Local media quoted officials as saying the death toll was expected to rise further.

The heavy rains have also caused severe flooding and crop damage in some areas, the Red Cross said.

Last year, more than 300 people were killed by landslides in Bududa district in the eastern region of Uganda.

Two weeks ago, seven people were killed by landslides in Uganda’s north-eastern Karamoja region.