Torrential rains set off a lethal landslide at a Kampala landfill, burying properties within the Ugandan capital.
A landslide at a rubbish dump in Uganda’s capital Kampala has killed at the very least 18 individuals, authorities stated as they proceed to seek for survivors.
Police introduced the dying toll on Sunday, two days after torrential rain dislodged a big chunk of rubbish at Kiteezi, the city’s solely landfill. The landslide buried individuals, livestock and houses as residents slept.
Authorities had reported eight confirmed deaths on Saturday, however the dying toll has risen as rescuers seek for survivors.
Authorities stated Sunday the dying toll had risen to 18, in line with the Related Press.
“The rescue operation will proceed till we’re positive that nobody is trapped,” police spokesman Patrick Onyango stated, in line with AFP.
Fourteen individuals and several other animals have been rescued, he added, warning that extra individuals might nonetheless be trapped.
“In accordance with our estimates, round 1,000 individuals have been displaced by the incident and [we are] “We’re at present working with different authorities businesses and group leaders to see how we are able to help these affected,” he stated.
The Uganda Purple Cross stated tents have been arrange close to the location for these displaced by the landslide.
For many years, Kiteezi has been Kampala’s solely rubbish dump, turning it into a large hill. Residents have usually complained that hazardous waste pollutes the atmosphere and poses a hazard.
Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago stated on Saturday that the landfill was at capability. “It is a catastrophe and it was inevitable that it could occur,” he stated.
Comparable incidents have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa because of poorly managed mountains of waste.
In 2017, at the very least 115 individuals have been killed in Ethiopia, crushed by a landslide at a landfill in Addis Ababa.
In Mozambique, at the very least 17 individuals died in the same catastrophe in Maputo in 2018.
