80 killed in eastern Uganda landslide

BUDUDA, Uganda, Tuesday

Eighty people were confirmed dead while 100 were reported missing after a landslide struck Bududa District on Monday night.

This followed a heavy downpour in Nametsi village on the slopes on Mt Elgon in eastern Uganda that started falling at about midday.

People took it for a normal down pour not knowing that calamity would befall them.

Local residents and children from Nametsi Primary School, Bukalasi Secondary School and other neighboring schools took shelter at the trading centre and health centre III in Nametsi village.

At about 7:30 pm, there was a great noise like an explosion that was accompanied by heavy stones falling from the hills of Mt Elgon.

And within a span of about 10 minutes, mud came down and covered all the residents who had taken shelter at the trading centre and heath centre III.
People who were in their homes were also buried by the landslide.

Although the local rescue team of residents armed with hoes and sticks recovered 51 bodies and eight people rushed to Bududa hospital in critical condition, hopes are fading for more than 100 people believed to be buried under the massive landslide as rescuers are using their bare hands to retrieve bodies.

Villagers stood in shock, many of them wailing for their dear ones as rescuers armed with rudimentary tools retrieved bodies from the heavy mud that covered homes and trading and health centres.

Animals and crops were also covered.

Nametsi Village LC I chairman Mr Dison Muluwe told Daily Monitor: “We have found 51 bodies so far and this village had about 200 people. Apparently, I don’t know how many are covered here. I am asking government to send us help in terms of tools to retrieve the bodies that are underground and give them a decent burial.”

The LC I boss said he heard noise from the hills of Mt Elgon, and then shortly there was noise like thunder. He said he started running away from the trading centre but before he reached his home, he turned behind only to see the whole village covered behind him.

“I fell down and remained on the ground because of the shock. Then later on I got up and called people to come and rescue the victims,” Mr Muluwe said.\

Some bodies that were retrieved had no limbs, heads and other body parts.

Captain Henry Obbo, the spokesperson of UPDF Third Division based in Mbale arrived at the scene with a number of soldiers.

Captain Obbo said their mission was to help retrieve bodies and evacuate the survivors. Disaster Preparedness minister Musa Ecweru went to the scene shortly and directed the Bududa LC V chairman Wilson Watira to take stock of the magnitude of the damage and communicate to his office.