Massive landslide in Uganda: At least 34 fatalities

Heavy rainfall caused a river to burst its bank triggering a landslide that struck many houses in Uganda's mountainous town of Bukalasi.

The impacted area is about 250km from the capital city of Kampala and close to the border with Kenya. The tragic incident, that occurred on 11 of October 2018, has caused at least 34 fatalities. Rescue teams arrived at Bukalasi in search of survivors but many people are still missing. Irene Nakasiita, Uganda Red Cross spokeswoman, said: "I can confirm 34 people are dead. We have to wait for our assessment to be completed before we can say how many are missing."

President Yoweri Museveni stated that the government is searching options to prevent such disasters. He also commented on Twitter: "I have received the sad news of landslides wreaking havoc in Bududa district. The government has dispatched rescue teams to the affected areas." 

According to Nathan Tumuhamye, director of an organization that aids communities address natural disasters consequences, 4-5 villages and possibly a primary school have been struck by the slide. 

Malcolm Webb, Al Jazeera's reporter from Kampala, said that people are also rensponsible for the landslide incidents. Locals that live on steep slopes have recently interfered with the landscape to use it for agriculture, making the slopes more vulnerable to landslides. "People survive by growing their own food, and a steadily growing population over many years has increased the demand for farmland. People have had to cut down trees and remove vegetation so they have space to grow their crops. It's the roots of those trees that hold these fragile slopes together."