At least 13 dead after landslides bury 40 homes in eastern Uganda villages – World News

Photo: AP Photo/Jean Watala

Rescuers carry bodies after a landslide following heavy rains buried 40 houses in Bulambuli mountain district, eastern Uganda, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.

At least 13 people have died in eastern Uganda after landslides buried 40 houses in six villages, aid officials said Thursday.

The Uganda Red Cross Society said 13 bodies had been recovered and the rescue effort was continuing.

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

The landslides occurred after heavy rains on Wednesday night in the Bulambuli mountain district, where landslides are common. The district is about 280 kilometers (173 mi) east of the capital, Kampala.

A journalist in the area told The Associated Press that local officials said an excavator would be brought in to help rescue efforts, but roads were covered in mud and rain was still falling.

The affected area is about 50 acres (20 ha) with households and agricultural land spread down.

Photos and videos of people digging through the mud in search of victims have been shared on social media. Some of the houses were finished covered in mud, while others had only a roof visible above the ground.

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

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a disaster alert on Wednesday stating that heavy rains across the country have disrupted major roads.

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