31 die in massive landslide in Uganda
No fewer than 31 people have died in a landslide caused by heavy rainfall in Uganda, the country’s government says.
AFP reports that the landslide occurred on Thursday, when a riverbank in the town of Bukalasi in the Bududa district burst and sent muddy water through a market.
The country’s Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness, Martin Owor told AFP on Friday that “the number of confirmed dead as of now is 31 people”.
About five villages and a primary school were said to have been affected by the massive landslide. Many of the victims’ bodies were seen covered in mud while members of the public covered some with banana leaves.
Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, said on his Twitter: “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.”
The Bududa district is reported to be a high risk area for landslides, but residents have strongly resisted government’s efforts to move them to neighbouring districts.
