Heavy rains hamper mudslide rescue efforts in eastern Uganda

Rescue teams are still pulling bodies from the mud and debris in Uganda’s Sebei region following prolonged intense rainfall in the Elgon highlands, which triggered massive soil movements across steep slopes between Oct 30 and Nov 1 this year.

The Uganda Red Cross Society, which is leading search and recovery efforts, says hopes of finding more survivors are fading, even as families in the area continue to report missing relatives.

Additional teams from the army and police have joined the operations, but heavy rains are slowing down rescue efforts.

“As we talk now, they are using rudimentary tools, so you saw that there is still some need of more manpower, because if people are saying that about 19 bodies are covered and we have so far only recovered two, that leaves you with about 17 that have not yet been retrieved from here. But what we can commit, under the coordination of the Office of the Prime Minister, that we shall do whatever it takes to see that we try to recover the bodies of the families that were covered here,” said John Cliff Wamala an officer at Uganda Red Cross Society.

The government has offered about 1,500 U.S. dollars to each bereaved family to help with burial arrangements.

Hundreds of survivors who lost their homes are now sheltering in temporary centers, as they wait to be moved to safer ground.

But the danger is not over yet, as more heavy rains are expected in the coming weeks and authorities are warning of fresh landslides.