Over 50 people feared dead in eastern Uganda landslides
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Xinhua, August 29, 2011
Twenty-two bodies have been exhumed and over 30 people are still missing after heavy rain caused a series of landslides in the mountainous eastern Ugandan district of Bulambuli on Monday morning, local and police authorities in the region said.
Simon Wanzofu, the district chairperson for the disaster-hit area told Xinhua by telephone that 22 bodies have been recovered and over 30 others are still missing after the landslides swept away two villages in the district.
The landslides following torrential rains on Monday morning swept seven homesteads in Sisiyi and Buluganya Sub Counties. The landslides occurred at around 2:30 a.m. local time.
Wanzofu said 15 bodies have been exhumed at Sisiyi Sub County and seven others in neighboring Buluganya Sub County.
"We are at the scene. We have so far managed to exhume 22 bodies," he said.
"The landslides were caused by heavy rains. We need an excavator to help us in the rescue operations," he added.
Philip Ocaya, the regional police commander for the eastern region told Xinhua by telephone that no survivor has so far been found.
"We are at the scene. We are trying to dig the mad. We can't estimate and assume how many people are missing since we don't know how many people were staying in each homestead," he said.
"We can be able to find the exact number by the end of the day," he said.
In March 2010, several landslides occurred in the eastern Ugandan district of Bududa, killing at least over 200 people and leaving thousands of others homeless.
