The death toll from a devastating garbage landslide in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, has risen to 35, with 12 of the victims identified as young people.
At least 28 individuals remain missing after the tragic incident, which occurred late last Friday.
A massive chunk of waste broke away from the Kiteezi landfill, located on the northern outskirts of the city, burying dozens of nearby homes while residents were asleep.
Nine additional bodies have been recovered, raising the number of confirmed deaths from the previous count of 26.
Police said that some of the newly retrieved bodies were in such poor condition that identification has been difficult.
The landslide came after torrential rains lashed parts of Uganda in recent weeks, causing widespread flooding and damage across the region.
The heavy rainfall weakened the integrity of the decades-old Kiteezi landfill, Kampala’s primary waste disposal site.
Residents living near the landfill have long expressed worries about the hazardous conditions caused by poorly managed rubbish, which they claim pollutes the environment and poses serious dangers to their safety.
This catastrophe is reminiscent of earlier calamities in Africa, where mismanagement of municipal trash has resulted in fatal collapses.
In 2017, a similar tragedy in Ethiopia killed at least 115 people.
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