RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 1 : Uganda - Landslide

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service Budapest, Hungary RSOE EDIS ALERTMAIL

Situation Update No. 1 Posted:2010-03-02, 11:11:23 [UTC] Ref.no.: LS-20100302-25173-UGA Situation Update No. 1 On 2010-03-02 at 13:13:54 [UTC] Event: Landslide Location: Uganda Region of Bududa Number of Deads: 53 person(s) Number of Missing: 300 person(s) Situation: Authorities in Bududa district are digging through heaps of mud in search of survivors and bodies after a landslide swept through an entire village killing more than 50 people on Monday night. The landslide that was triggered off by a heavy downpour from 12pm to 7pm, began in the Mt Elgon National Park and buried the entire Nyametsi Trading Centre, which harbours about 150 people. More people are feared dead in the catastrophe that started immediately after the downpour. About 45 bodies have been retrieved from the rubble while eight people have been rushed to various health centres for treatment. Disaster Minister Tarsis Kabwegyere has said that the landslides are expected to continue as the rains intensify in the region. "Everybody is dead. 320 people are unaccounted for. I don't know if we shall get any survivors out," Minister David Wakikona, MP for Manjiya County in Bududa district has added. A health worker from a medical centre in the area has been rescued while the search is on to find his colleagues. Another six bodies have been retrieved from Mabona village, Buheki Sub County after the landslide buried worshippers in a church. Watira Wilson, the Bududa district chairman says most of the bodies have missing limbs. Residents who have survived the landslides have been advised to evacuate immediately. Kabwegyere said a government response team was on the ground with food and the Red Cross had sent doctors. Police and volunteers were also helping in the rescue. Parts of Uganda and neighbouring Kenya have had sustained rainfall over much of the past two months, which is usually a dry period between rainy seasons. Please DO NOT reply to this message: replies may be treated as errors and result in your subscription being deleted. If you have trouble or other queries, send email to havaria@rsoe.hu RSOE EDIS is operated by the National Association of Radio-Distress Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE), Budapest, Hungary. Because of the complexity of this system and its dependence on other systems, we cannot be responsible for delays or failures in forwarding or transmission. You're receiving this AlertMail because you subscribed for the service. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Contact: havaria@rsoe.hu