Seven family members buried alive by Bulambuli landslides

Seven members of the same family have reportedly died in landslides that have ravaged several villages in Bulambuli district, eastern Uganda.

Areas affected include the villages of Masugu, Namakere, Kagulu, and Namagugu in Buluganya parish, Buluganya sub-county.

Bulambuli resident district commissioner (RDC), Stanley Bayola, says one body has so far been recovered by the residents. He said that they are waiting for a grader to retrieve the other bodies.

Bayola says that the displaced people have been advised to seek shelter at Masungu primary school. Emmanuel Sebunyo, a resident says that the landslides were triggered by heavy rains that pounded the area from about 11:00 am on Thursday. The landslides began at about 3:00 pm from Mount Elgon National Park, burying several animals and crops.

The Mount Elgon region that straddles Kenya and Uganda often receives high rainfall, which devastates villages and kills people on mountain slopes.    

In 2019, the government relocated landslide victims in the landslide-prone areas in the districts of Bududa, Manafwa Sironko to Bulambuli where it constructed houses.