The death toll from last week’s devastating landslides in the Sebei sub-region has risen to 21, following the recovery of five more bodies in Bukwo District on Monday evening. Rescue teams are still digging through the mud and debris using simple tools, as the search for the missing continues.
The latest discoveries, which included two infants, were made in Kwanwa Village, Kapteka Parish, Chesower Subcounty in Bukwo District. Current figures show seven deaths in Bukwo, six in Kween, and five in Kapchorwa, while at least 11 people remain missing, feared to be trapped beneath mud and large rocks.
According to Kween Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hope Atuhaire, another body was also found in Girig Village, one of the areas badly affected by floods caused by heavy runoff from the highlands. The rescue effort led by local residents with support from the Uganda Police and UPDF continues under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions.
Chesan Sylus, one of the locals helping in the operation, said that seven bodies have so far been recovered from Kwanwa Village alone five from a single family and two from another. “This morning, we found two infants from a family of seven. The other five are still buried underground,” he explained.
Sipi Regional Police spokesperson Fredmark Chesang confirmed the updated number of victims and noted that nine survivors have been rescued so far.
On Sunday, the State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Lillian Aber, visited the affected areas and appealed to residents living in risky zones to move to safer places immediately. She revealed that the government has established a temporary holding camp at Moyok in Kween District to host displaced families from both Bukwo and Kween until the heavy rains stop and a long-term resettlement plan is put in place.
RDC Atuhaire also confirmed that relief food from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has arrived to support affected households.
Meanwhile, teams from the OPM and Uganda Red Cross Society remain on-site, carrying out damage assessments and verifying the full list of victims and survivors.
