Mountain disaster strikes Uganda: Hundreds affected as nature shows its power
Heavy rains caused a devastating mountain-side collapse in eastern Uganda leaving many trapped under mud and debris. Local rescue teams cant reach affected areas due to damaged roads and washed-out bridges
In a tragic turn of events heavy rains triggered a massive earth-slide in Ugandas eastern region about 190 miles from Kampala (which buried multiple village homes under thick mud and debris)
Charles Odongtho from the Prime Ministers office shared shocking numbers: 15 people lost their lives‚ and more than 100 residents are still nowhere to be found. The Uganda Red Cross Society reported that the disaster completely buried 40-plus households – with many others getting partial damage
The situation in Bulambuli district is extra-hard because rescue teams cant get to affected areas: all bridges got washed away and roads are under water. Police officials point out that even emergency vehicles dont have any way to reach the disaster zone
The region has been dealing with non-stop rain since last month; this caused major problems including the mighty River Nile overflowing its banks just couple days ago. The mountain-side collapse happened in an area that lost most of its trees and plants to farming which made the ground less stable
- Previous mountain collapse in this area killed 80 people in 2010
- Eight villages got hit by current disaster
- Local infrastructure is completely cut-off
- Rescue teams still cant access many areas
The local terrain makes things worse – steep mountain slopes combined with cleared forest areas create perfect conditions for such earth-slides during rainy season
