Uganda: Landslides kill at least 15 persons, dozens of homes submerged

According to relief workers, at least 15 people were killed when landslides submerged dozens of homes in western Uganda on Thursday.

Heavy rains overnight in Bulambuli, a mountainous district prone to landslides, precipitated the landslides.

The Uganda Red Cross Society reported that 15 dead had been retrieved as rescue efforts were still ongoing. An additional 15 people were brought to the hospital with injuries.

More than 100 individuals are still missing, and authorities expect the death toll to climb.

According to Red Cross spokesperson John Cliff Wamala, up to 40 homes were “completely destroyed, with others sustaining partial damage.”

Uganda has had a number of catastrophic landslides in recent years.

Mudslides in the Mount Elgon region killed approximately 350 people in February 2010.

Earlier this year, a major garbage landslide in Kampala killed over 30 people. The incident highlighted the urgent need for better waste management solutions throughout the East African country.