Torrential rains trigger deadly landslide at a Kampala landfill, burying homes in Uganda’s capital.
Men fight over a metallic door from the debris of a house hit by a landfill collapse in Kampala [Badru Katumba/AFP]
Published On 11 Aug 202411 Aug 2024
A landslide at a rubbish dump in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, has killed at least 18 people, authorities have reported as they continue to search for survivors.
Police announced the death toll on Sunday, two days after torrential rain broke off a huge chunk of rubbish at Kiteezi, the city’s only landfill site. The landslide buried people, livestock and homes as residents slept.
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Authorities had reported eight confirmed deaths on Saturday, but the number of casualties has risen as rescuers dig for survivors.
Authorities said on Sunday that the death toll had risen to 18, according to the Associated Press.
“The rescue operation is still ongoing until we are sure no one is trapped,” police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said, according to AFP.
Fourteen people have been rescued as well as several animals, he added, cautioning that more people could still be trapped.
“In our estimation, about 1,000 people have been displaced by the incident, and [we are] currently working with other agencies of government and the community leadership to see how to help the affected people,” he said.