15 dead after torrential rains trigger landslides in Uganda

According to the Ugandan Red Cross on Wednesday, at least 15 people had died, after a landslide triggered by torrential rains, swept and buried their homes in the country’s Western region. Emergency workers continue to shovel through in search for survivors.

A spokeswoman for the Uganda Red Cross, said at least 6 people had been found and taken to hospital. Most of those killed were women and children.

Sitting on the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains on the border with the DRC; Kasese district, where the calamity occurred, is prone to landslides, especially during the rainy season.

In July, flooding caused by heavy rains killed at least 24 people in the East of Uganda, with the country’s weather agency warning of unusually strong and destructive rains in the August-December season and advised people living in mountainous areas to be vigilant or evacuate to safer areas.