Twenty people have been killed in landslides in Uganda as the search continues for more victims.
There are now 20 people dead from this week's landslides as further bodies were discovered buried beneath the muck in eastern Uganda and an injured person passed away in a hospital.
The landslides that engulfed six villages in the mountainous area of Bulambuli, 280 kilometers (175 miles) east of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on Wednesday night were caused by heavy rainfall. Approximately 125 homes were demolished. Irene Kasiita, a spokesman for the Uganda Red Cross Society, informed reporters that four more people’s bodies were discovered on Friday, and that a fifth person—who was hurt in the landslides—died at Mbale Hospital.
According to a statement from the society, 750 people had been displaced, 216 of whom were temporarily housed at a nearby school, while the remaining individuals were being looked after by family members.
Soldiers have been sent in to assist with the excavation, according to Bulambuli Resident District Commissioner Faheera Mpalanyi.
“More bodies are still buried under the heaps of soils and stones and we are trying as much as we can to recover them,” she said.
Local officials told a journalist in the area on Thursday that an excavator would be brought to assist in the rescue efforts, but the roads were covered in mud and rain was still falling. The impacted area is about 50 acres with homesteads and farmlands spread downhill.
On Thursday, Bulambuli district lawmaker Irene Muloni said that the government will assist in relocating residents from the area that is prone to landslides.
She urged everyone who had lost their home to seek shelter with family members and “leave this dangerous place,” saying, “Waterfalls are everywhere, and the rainfall is excessive.”