At least nine people, including six from one family, have been confirmed dead following landslides that hit Bukwo and Kween districts in eastern Uganda.
The victims include three children who were buried by mud in Nyalit parish, Chesower sub-county, Bukwo district, after heavy overnight rainfall pounded the Sebei sub-region on Wednesday.
The downpour also disrupted transport along the Kapchorwa–Suam road, after the SIT Bridge was buried under mud and debris washed down by floodwaters. David Kapcheronge, the LC V councillor for Tuikat sub-county, Kween district, said four families were affected, with six members of one family confirmed dead and several others seriously injured.
Sipi Region police spokesperson, Fredmark Chesang, confirmed the incidents, saying police, together with local residents, had retrieved the bodies, which were taken to Bukwo hospital mortuary for post-mortem.
He added that search operations were ongoing as more people were feared to be buried under the mud. Authorities in both Bukwo and Kween have appealed to the government and humanitarian agencies for relief aid as heavy rains continue to batter the Sebei sub-region, leaving several homes at risk of further landslides.
