At least 15 dead and more than 100 missing after landslides buried homes in Uganda

 

(AP) – At least 15 people have died and 113 others are missing after landslides buried homes in six villages in eastern Uganda, police said.

Another 15 injured people have been rescued and admitted to the Buluganya Health Center.

The Uganda Red Cross said Thursday that 13 bodies had been recovered after landslides buried 40 homes and that the rescue effort was continuing.

Local media reported that authorities expect the death toll could rise to 30.

The landslides followed heavy rains on Wednesday night in the mountainous district of Bulambuli, where landslides are common. The district is about 280 kilometres east of the capital, Kampala.

A local journalist told The Associated Press that local officials said a bulldozer would be brought in to help with the rescue effort, but roads were covered in mud and rain was still falling.

The affected area is about 20 hectares (50 acres) with homes and farmland spread downhill.

Photos and videos of people digging through the mud in search of victims were shared on social media. Some of the houses were completely covered in mud, while in others only the roof was visible.

The Daily Monitor newspaper reported that most of the bodies recovered so far were children.

The prime minister's office issued a disaster alert on Wednesday saying heavy rains across the country had cut off major roads.

Two rescue boats capsized on Wednesday during a rescue mission on the Nile River, where the Pakwach Bridge was submerged.