The death toll from landslides triggered by heavy rains since Wednesday in several communities in eastern Uganda has risen to 20, authorities confirmed, with more than a hundred people still unaccounted for and the possibility that the count could climb as conditions remain volatile. The Uganda Red Cross Society, in a post on X, affirmed the update, noting that 19 bodies had been recovered and another person died while receiving care in hospital. Rescue teams have faced challenging terrain and damaged roads, which have slowed the search for those still missing and for potential survivors. With ongoing rainfall, the risk of further landslides remains high, underscoring the urgency of a rapid, coordinated relief effort across the affected districts.
The humanitarian agency reports that the disaster damaged 220 homes and destroyed 125 completely, while about 750 people have been displaced. Relief partners are mobilizing emergency shelters, access to clean water, and essential medical care to those who lost their homes and livelihoods. Local authorities are assessing needs on the ground and coordinating with non-governmental organizations to ensure rapid assistance while monitoring further rainfall and potential aftershocks that could threaten more communities. Such data reflect the scale of disruption in multiple settlements and highlight the sustained pressure on local resources.
Rogers Taitika, the regional police spokesperson for Elgon, detailed to Monitor that 113 people remain unaccounted for and that search efforts continue as teams work with local authorities and community volunteers to locate them. He noted that police and security agencies have intensified rescue operations and are receiving crucial support from the surrounding communities, though progress is hindered by roads that have become impassable due to flooding and landslide debris. The affected towns are Masugu, Namachele, Natola, Namagugu, and Tagalu, areas characterized by hillside soils prone to collapse when heavy rain arrives.
Earlier in the week, Sarah Madada, head of Natural Resources for Bulambuli district, explained that the mudslides occurred during Wednesday’s rainfall. She added that authorities plan evacuations for residents in the most exposed zones as rain continued to lash the area, keeping the danger of new slides on the horizon. The comments underscored the evolving risk and the need for timely relocation to safer ground when conditions deteriorate.
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Madada also stressed that the situation remains worrying and called for immediate, coordinated responses. She noted that hundreds had already been displaced in October due to multiple landslides in the region, a reminder of the ongoing vulnerability of these communities. Officials are urging residents to heed warnings, secure essential supplies, and prepare for rapid evacuation if weather services forecast more heavy rain and mudflows in the days ahead.